Cycle of Sin
by Quatermass
Summary: An attempt to stop Sirius from falling through the Veil leads to Harry and his godfather ending up in Spira. Encountering Tidus, Harry and Sirius soon join up with the Al Bhed. There, they embark on a quest to save Spira in general...and Yuna in particular. But with Sin and Yevon ranged against them, can they achieve this?
1. Foreword

**FOREWORD**

Normally, I do not allow people to make suggestions for stories for me to write. I do my own thing where my stories are concerned. And yet, a PM from waytodawn0 actually sparked something in me. He wanted a Harry Potter crossover with _Final Fantasy X_ , having read my other crossovers. My first instinct at the time was to reject the suggestion, but something sparked, and I actually found the concept intriguing. I didn't follow most of his suggestions, including Harry coming to Spira at the same age as he was in _Harry Potter and the Cetra Heritage_. I've done enough stories at the beginning of Harry's journey to Hogwarts, and it's about time I varied it. Therefore, I will be doing one of those stories where Harry and Sirius both fall through the Veil…and end up in Spira. Namely, at Baaj Temple, at the same time Tidus begins his own journey through Spira.

For the most part, though, Harry and Sirius will be with the Al Bhed, only joining Yuna's party at the same time as Rikku does, though their paths will still intersect with those of the other characters at brief moments. Fair warning, though, there will be some light bashing of Wakka. He's a decent guy in the end, but he's also frankly somewhat racist towards the Al Bhed. I'm not going to make him evil, just have his attitude called out by Harry and Sirius.

Anyway, time for the disclaimers. Firstly, there will be spoilers for _Final Fantasy X_ and Harry Potter.

Secondly, I will be doing annotations, as is usual for my works. This is your only warning.

Thirdly, this will be an M-rated work, for language and violence, and possibly some sexual references.

Finally, the following is a fan-written work. Harry Potter and _Final Fantasy X_ are the property of their respective owners. Please support the official release. Otherwise, Sin will wipe your sorry arse…from the face of Spira. That…did not come out right.


	2. Chapter 1: Castaways

**CHAPTER 1:**

 **CASTAWAYS**

The temple was derelict and abandoned from what Tidus could see so far. Probably still infested with monsters. That big fish-like one had nearly made a meal out of him. Of course, with the rumble of thunder in the distance, and this temple leaking like a sieve, not to mention being cold as hell, it was probably a case of out of the frying pan, and into the freezer.

As he made his way, he heard voices in the distance. The accent was unusual, but the words were understandable. And it was clear that it was an argument.

"…your fault, Sirius!" Sounded like a teenaged boy.

"My fault? You're the one who reached for me when that curse sent me into the Veil. Oh, and are we forgetting who got fooled by Voldemort in the first place?" An older man.

"Kreacher told us you were there! And if you didn't treat him like shit _…_ "

"Don't you _dare_ talk to me like that!"

"Didn't you tell me last year that you can always tell the character of a man by how he treats his lessers?"

A brief pause, before the older man said, "I've lived with Kreacher's insults for most of my life _…_ "

"And what about Snape? I saw his memories, Sirius. I saw how you and my father treated him. A nasty piece of work he may have been even then, but you two were little better."

A longer, colder silence. "You take that back."

"Or what? They said after you escaped that you were out to kill me or do something bad _._ " Once more, silence fell, before the teenager said, "Damn it, I need somewhere to calm down _._ "

"Then go and do that," the older voice said tightly, both angry and sad. "I'm not in the mood to deal with a teenage tantrum."

"That's because you never grew out of them," the teenaged voice retorted sullenly, before a door could be heard slamming open. Tidus scrambled to hide behind some rubble, and watched as a teenaged boy with dark hair and glasses stomped by him, his expression stormy. The teenager halted just as he passed Tidus' hiding place, before walking back, peering over the rubble suspiciously. In an instant, the boy had a carved stick out, pointing at Tidus. "Who are you?"

Tidus put his hands up. "Hey, hey, take it easy, I only just got here. I thought this place was deserted. Where the hell is this place?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing. Is this the Ministry for Magic?" Tidus stared at him blankly. "London? England?"

"I don't know those names," Tidus protested. "I'm from Zanarkand."

The teenager, only a couple of years his junior, but looking much older in his green eyes, sighed, rolling his eyes as he pocketed the stick. "Of course you are, wherever the hell Zanarkand is. I haven't heard of it, and I'll be willing to bet my godfather doesn't know either. Then again, he never fucking knows the answer when it's important(1)."

"Okay, well…I'm Tidus."

"Tidus?" the boy asked. He sighed. "Yep, definitely not in Kansas anymore, Toto. Figures that I'd be the girl, and he's the dog."

"Sorry, what?"

"Never mind. I've got the feeling that we're probably all far away from home," the boy said. "Harry Potter."

"Hey, Harry!" came the sound of the older man's voice. "Who're you talking to?"

"Myself. It's the only intelligent conversation I'll get around here," Harry retorted bitterly.

"…Don't you start talking like Snivellous, Harry."

"At least I know I can hate him consistently!" Harry retorted. Rolling his eyes again, he remarked, "C'mon, he's started a fire. Might as well get warm. You look soaked."

* * *

The older man, currently tending a fire, had long black hair and grey eyes, and a neatly trimmed moustache and beard. He looked up, and said, "Wait, we have company?"

"Yeah. Claims to be from some place called Zanarkand," Harry said. "You ever heard of it?"

"No." He looked at Tidus, and gave a rather grim smile. "I'm Sirius Black, aka Padfoot, aka Harry's godfather. And a great job I've been doing so far."

"Tidus," Tidus said. "You guys haven't ever heard of Blitzball?"

Sirius and Harry, despite their current antagonism, shared a look of confusion, before Harry said, "Never heard of it. We have Quidditch, but if you're a Muggle…sorry, that's someone who can't use magic, you wouldn't have heard of that. We have soccer, football, cricket(2)…"

"Haven't heard of any of those," Tidus admitted. "Those are sports, right? Ball games?" Upon seeing their nod, he said, "Any of them underwater?"

Again, the shared look, and then, they both shook their heads. "Okay…do you guys know someone called Auron? Red coat, glasses, wields a big sword?" Again, the headshake. "Umm, Jecht? Doesn't like wearing a shirt, lots of hair, beard, and ego?"

"Sorry," Sirius said. "We don't know these guys. One minute, we were in the Ministry of Magic, fighting off the Dark Wanker's idiots…"

Harry chuckled. "Why didn't you ever call Voldemort that before?"

"Because Molly would have had my head. Anyway, one minute we were facing them, the next, I got hit by a spell from my cousin, began falling through some eldritch archway some idiot left lying around, Harry comes to try and pull me away, and I end up dragging him through. I think we're at the second stage of grief here: anger."

 _Whatever that is_ , Tidus thought. Eventually, he asked, "Don't suppose you guys have any food?"

Harry dug around in his trouser pocket, before throwing Tidus a mashed-up package that turned out to contain a rather squashed chocolate frog. Was it him, or was it moving? He ate it, nonetheless. It came with a waterlogged card for an old, bearded magician by the name of Albus Dumbledore.

* * *

Tidus and Harry went to sleep for a time, before they were woken up by Sirius. "There's something here," he hissed urgently. "Tidus, that sword on your back, you know how to use it?"

Tidus nodded. Suddenly, some four-legged thing leapt at them from out of the shadows, screeching. "BOMBARDA!" Sirius bellowed.

An explosion sent the creature flying into the wall, where it hit it, and slid down, leaving a gory trail. Shortly thereafter, some doors that had been nearby blew inwards, and an assortment of weirdly-dressed people, all of them wearing goggles, and many of them with guns, bustled in. At their head was a girl about Harry's age, dressed in an armoured wetsuit, with a helmet and goggles.

Instantly, the group aimed their weapons at the trio, but the girl said, " _Fyed!_ "

One of them snarled, " _Fiends! Eh risyh teckieca! Gemm drac!_ "

"EXPELLIARMUS!" Sirius snarled, and the guns were blasted from the intruders' hands. As the newcomers stared at their hands, he said, "I don't appreciate guns being pointed at me."

" _Fyed_ ," the girl repeated to her comrades, before she walked forward. Then, in perfectly understandable English, she said, "Who are you? You'd better answer quickly, they don't appreciate having their toys taken from them. Are you a mage?"

"Harry and I are," Sirius said. "Tidus here…I don't know. I'm Sirius Black. And we don't know where the hell we are."

"I'm not surprised. It's not a nice place to be, isn't it? Filled with fiends and such."

" _Rikku, syopa drao'na vnus Yevon_ ," one of the newcomers said, glaring at Sirius sullenly.

The girl snorted. In English, she said, "We're Al Bhed."

"…What are Al Bhed?" Harry asked.

The girl scoffed, before saying, " _Drao lymes hud du ghuf fru fa yna. Yht E tuh'd drehg drao mea._ "

" _E lymm pimmcred!_ ," one of them said.

"Look, is this place completely deserted?" Sirius asked.

"We wouldn't be here otherwise," the girl said. "Look, you'd better come with us. Baaj Temple is pretty much isolated from everywhere else, and we can do with the extra hands. I'm Rikku. You any good at swimming? Any of you Blitzball players?"

"I'm a Blitzball player," Tidus said.

"And I can cast a Bubblehead Charm," Sirius said. "Actually, I can use a translation charm so we can learn that language of yours."

"That'd be great, though I don't think the others would appreciate it."

" _Rikku! Fryd tajemno ec ra cbaygehk uv?_ "

As Sirius cast the charm on himself, Harry, and Tidus, Rikku said, " _Ra cyoc dryd ra ryc y cbamm to learn our language._ "

The man snorted. " _You can't be serious._ "

" _Actually, I am Sirius_." Upon seeing their blank looks, he said, " _Oh, mustn't work across the language barrier. I'm Sirius Black, this is my godson Harry Potter, and this is Tidus. Do the words London, or Zanarkand mean anything to you?_ "

" _Zanarkand? He speaks of the Yevonite fools' holy city_ ," the rather belligerent Al Bhed retorted.

" _Zanarkand, holy?_ " Tidus laughed. " _I was there, I was a star Blitzball player of the Zanarkand Abes._ "

The belligerent Al Bhed looked at the others. " _He's crazy. He can't be a Blitzball player from Zanarkand._ "

" _Why not?_ " Tidus demanded.

" _Zanarkand got destroyed a thousand years ago_ ," Rikku said. " _You weren't near Sin, were you?_ "

" _Sin? Sin was destroying Zanarkand!_ " Tidus said. " _That's what Auron said!_ "

" _Auron?_ " one of the other Al Bhed mused. " _Wasn't that one of Braska's guardians?_ "

" _We're wasting time_ ," the belligerent Al Bhed said. He pointed at the trio. " _You three, come along. If you're not Fiends, then you can be useful._ "

" _Gerrin, you could be a bit more tactful_ ," Rikku sighed. " _I mean, they did take away your weapons. And judging by that smear on the wall, they were able to kill a Fiend. Look, we need your help. We're a salvage team. You don't have any qualms against machina?_ "

" _Mah-kin-ah?_ " Harry asked.

" _Machines, especially electronics._ "

" _No, of course not. Why?_ "

Gerrin scoffed. " _Why not? This day's already been weird enough. Come on, you three._ "

* * *

They were escorted onto a low-lying ship, whereupon Rikku came out with another Al Bhed wearing only coveralls and goggles. His blonde hair was in a Mohawk. " _Are these the strangers, Rikku?_ " he asked.

" _Yeah. One claims to be from Zanarkand, while the other two from some place called 'London'. The two from London are mages. They've even used some sort of spell to translate our language._ "

" _Hmmph. Well, we'd better get moving. We don't need Yevon coming after us._ "

" _Excuse me, what is this Yevon?_ " Harry said, putting his hand up.

Mohawk looked at Rikku. " _Is this guy serious?_ "

" _They didn't know who Al Bhed are, Brother, and they don't have issues with machina. If they're Yevonites, they're hiding it far better than anyone else, and you'd think they'd come up with a better story than coming from Zanarkand, or this London place._ "

Mohawk, dubbed Brother by Rikku, snorted. " _Well, if you seem so friendly to these guys, I'll let you handle the explanations. In all likelihood, these idiots got too close to Sin, and you know what effect Sin's toxin has on the mind. Give it time, and they'll be back to hating us._ " He then pointed at Sirius and Harry. " _Any funny business, any sign of betrayal, and you're food for the fishes. Understand?_ "

" _Perfectly_ ," Sirius said icily.

As Brother went back into the ship proper, Rikku dismissed the guards. Then, in English, she said, "Sorry about that." She removed her goggles, revealing green irises. On closer inspection, she seemed to have pupils that were like spirals. "We get a lot of crap from Yevon. And Yevon's the main religion in Spira."

"Spira? Is that this world?" Sirius asked.

"Yeah. What do you mean this world?"

"Our world's called Earth," Harry said. "I don't know about Tidus, but this sounds like we're in another world entirely. We have machines and electronics and stuff, but we don't have Al Bhed. And you didn't seem surprised to see us use magic."

"Well, no. I mean, it's different magic than what I've seen, but magic's pretty common here. Yevon prohibits most machina, machinery, unless it's related to Blitzball. There's some exceptions, but they claim that advanced machinery, machina, only attracts Sin."

"And what's Sin?"

"A huge-ass monster," Tidus said. "The last thing I remember before I ended up at that temple was that Sin was attacking Zanarkand."

"Well, you could've all had weird dreams from Sin's toxin. I mean, it screws with your head…but you two don't know anything about Sin, or our world. Tidus knows about Sin and Zanarkand, but that's it. Oh, and Auron. I've not heard of him until now, but if he was Braska's guardian... Well, you said you play Blitzball, right, Tidus? Well, they're holding the latest tournament in Luca. Maybe someone knows you there. I wouldn't go around telling anyone else you're from Zanarkand, even if you are telling the truth. Like Gerrin said, it's holy to Yevon. You'll annoy a lot of people."

"And what are we doing?"

"Salvage operation. We're hoping to get something very big out of the water, but we need some help exploring." She smiled. "Hope those Bubblehead Charms of yours are good for underwater swimming. Just be ready in case there're monsters down there. Don't worry, we'll be diving together. There's safety in numbers, right?"

"Right," Harry said, a trifle uncertainly. But hopefully, they would get through this. And hopefully, they could find a way home…

 **CHAPTER 1 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **And here it is: the first chapter of** ** _Cycle of Sin_** **.**

 **Now, in case you're wondering why Harry and Sirius are having a fullblown argument when they're generally on the best of terms, keep in mind a few factors. One, Harry is in his shouty moody emo phase from** ** _The Order of the Phoenix_** **. Two, Dumbledore isn't there to basically be the rightful target of Harry's wrath, so Sirius cops it. Three, Harry has learned some unpleasant truths about his father and Sirius during Snape's Occlumency lessons, and has a wee bit of a broken pedestal. Four, he doesn't really want to face up to his own fault in being here yet. Finally, he knows he and Sirius are stranded somewhere that they may not be able to leave easily. So, tempers were very much frayed. Don't worry, they'll resolve their differences before long.**

 **The confrontation between the Al Bhed and the newcomers to Spira goes differently thanks to Sirius. There's still tension between the two, but the Al Bhed are less belligerent. I used both a transcript of the game, as well as an online Al Bhed translator to translate the dialogue. Italicised dialogue will usually be Al Bhed language, or else radios and the like.**

 **1\. A reference to an infamous out-take from** ** _Doctor Who: The Armageddon Factor_** **. Tom Baker, as the Doctor, asks K9 a question to which K9 replies "Insufficient data." To which Baker retorts, "Yeah, well you never fucking know the answer when it's important."**

 **2\. I steadfastly refuse to call soccer football, or football anything other than maybe rugby. For anyone confused, that's how I defined it.**


	3. Chapter 2: Sin Attacks

**CHAPTER 2:**

 **SIN ATTACKS**

The salvage operation itself turned out relatively well, at first, though they needed to don some wetsuits like the Al Bhed (Tidus was used to swimming in his clothes, which were designed for the underwater sport of Blitzball). Sirius and Harry were amazed at how long Tidus and the Al Bhed could hold their breaths underwater. There was a snag when some octopus thing attacked them, but between their magic, Tidus' swordplay (which was still impressive underwater) and Rikku using some special improvised weapons, they prevailed, activating the systems on something very big under the water.

Sirius, who kept the translation charm up, perked up when he heard the Al Bhed saying that the thing they were helping to salvage was an airship. They had come up for the time being, as they needed to find a way of getting it out of the water. That being said, they were ordered to remain on the deck of the ship for the moment: they were still not exactly trusted by anyone but Rikku. Rikku promised to bring out food and water before long.

While Tidus went to a railing and looked over to the starry horizon, Harry and Sirius faced each other. In the aftermath of their plunge through the Veil, and ending up in Baaj Temple, they had said some harsh words to each other. Eventually, they said, almost simultaneously, "I'm sorry."

After a pause, Sirius said, "I really screwed the pooch on this, didn't I?"

"Well, to be fair, I tried to pull you out from the Veil. And you were right. About rushing in, anyway."

"Same goes for what you said about Kreacher. Merlin, I haven't really been the best godfather to you, have I?"

"Well, twelve years in Azkaban doesn't help matters," Harry muttered. "Do you think Ron and Hermione and the others will be okay?"

"Damned if I know, Harry. The thing is, I don't know if we can go back." The older wizard slumped.

"Well, we can't give up hope of that, can we?" Harry asked.

"We won't stop looking for a way, Harry," Sirius agreed. The two of them then went over to Tidus, the blonde-haired teenager looking pensive.

"I've been thinking," Tidus said. "I mean…if Zanarkand was destroyed a thousand years ago…then I must've travelled in time. Always assuming Rikku is wrong, and that wasn't a hallucination induced by Sin."

"Well, she's probably wrong. I mean, Harry and I remember the same things, and I doubt we hallucinated what we did."

As if summoned by them talking about her, Rikku came up with a tray, followed by a pair of small robots carrying trays themselves. The trio took their trays with gratitude, though Tidus was warned not to eat so fast, lest he choke. Rikku, meanwhile, sat down next to them. "I think the consensus is we're going to have to leave the actual salvage operation until my father comes here. This boat doesn't have the right equipment to get that thing out of the ocean."

"Your father?" Harry asked.

"Yeah. His name is Cid. He's pretty much the leader of the Al Bhed."

Harry chuckled. "Which, what, makes you a princess?"

Rikku scoffed. "I wish. Anyway, it's not like we're a monarchy, or like Yevon. We're a democracy. My dad was…elected, so to speak, although he was the one to establish Home. About the only special privilege I get is command of my own operation, and even then, Brother is actually in charge. I'm his second in command."

They finished the meal in relative silence after that. Then, Rikku said, "We'll be heading to Luca before long. We'll see if anyone recognises any of you."

"…So you don't believe either of us?" Harry asked.

"I'm not sure. I mean, you speak of these weird place names, but your magic is definitely different to what I see. I should get Brother to teach you some magic, though. Even so…well, I need to know more. Tidus, though, well, it could be that what happened is Sin's toxin…"

"I'm not crazy!" Tidus retorted.

"Well, you're far from the only person to claim they're from Zanarkand. I talked to Bansil, and he said that Braska and Auron travelled with someone else claiming to be from Zanarkand. Some guy named Jecht."

At this, Tidus shot her a look. "Jecht?! My bastard father ended up here?!"

"…Yeah. Apparently he was a skilled Blitzball player. Oh, and he attacked a Shoopuf while drunk at the Moonflow. Which was monumentally stupid. I guess you aren't on the best of terms with him?"

"Not at all," Tidus said.

Rikku put her head in her hands. "I dunno what to make of that. Two guys claiming to be from Zanarkand, father and son. Well, like I said, keep quiet about coming from Zanarkand, unless you want the Yevonites coming for you."

Suddenly, the boat rocked, and Rikku's eyes widened. "Shit!"

A couple of the Al Bhed came out on the deck, and looked around, before looking out to the ocean, where a plume of spray was subsiding. Something very big, very large, and possibly very angry was diving. " _Shit, it's Sin!_ " one of them yelled.

" _It's diving beneath us!_ " another panicked.

"Harry, Tidus, hold onto something!" Sirius yelled, only for the deck to buck like an untamed horse again. Harry and Tidus began sliding down the now-tilted deck, and Sirius, making a split-second decision, dived for Harry, grabbing him by the arm. Tidus, however, slid over the side.

" _We need to get out of here!_ " one of the Al Bhed yelled.

As he dashed inside, Sirius yelled, " _Hey, there's a man overboard! We need to help him!_ "

" _If we don't get out of here, we all die!_ " the Al Bhed retorted. " _Rikku, get the two remaining strangers inside now!_ "

"Dammit," Rikku muttered, as she began pushing Sirius and Harry inside. "Look, if he can survive one encounter with Sin, he'll survive another," she said, as if trying to reassure herself more than she did Sirius. "Anyway, we're close to the Besaid Islands."

"We're still abandoning him!" Sirius snarled as they were pushed into a cabin.

"Do you think I like it any more than you do?" Rikku snapped. "But if we stay here, we die! Don't worry…if he does end up on Besaid, he's in safe hands."

"Why is that?" Harry asked, far from happy about leaving Tidus behind, but a bit exhausted to dispute anything at the moment.

"My cousin lives there. Look, I'll tell you about it later. You guys look like you need a decent sleep." She then shut the door to the cabin and locked it.

For a moment, Sirius entertained a scenario where he unlocked the door, grabbed Rikku, and used her as a hostage so that he could force them to rescue Tidus. Almost as soon as he did, though, he decided against it. Rikku was a nice girl, and certainly the most hospitable of the Al Bhed so far, and she was right. If they stayed close to the gigantic monster, they'd be in danger of dying.

He hated it, though. And so too did Harry.

* * *

Their sleep in their bunk beds (Sirius claimed the top bunk) was fitful and uneasy. But the next morning, Rikku came back. She had changed clothes since she was last with them, though. Now she wore an orange sleeveless top, green shorts, and wore her goggles around her neck. Without the helmet framing her face, she became significantly more endearing. She brought in a couple of food trays with her.

"Look, sorry about last night," she said as she put the food trays down.

"It's fine," Sirius said, hopping down. "I don't like it, but…"

"If it makes you two feel any better, we found out he's still alive," Rikku said.

Harry grinned. "Well, that's a relief. How do you know?"

"We have a spy on Besaid Island. My cousin Yuna lives there, and my dad's concerned for her. I've never met her, just seen the odd picture. You know that High Summoner I mentioned? Braska? Well, you guys don't seem to be in the loop, so I'll tell you: he was a priest of Yevon who got disgraced by marrying an Al Bhed, my aunt. My aunt got disowned by my father, though when Yuna was born, they reconciled. In fact, she was on her way to Bikanel and Home for a family reunion when Sin destroyed her ship. I think the knowledge of Yuna being part-Al Bhed is not common, though. I think Yevon swept it all under the carpet. Apparently, out of those on Besaid, only she and one of her closest friends, Lulu, know. Anyway, our spy reported that Tidus was found by a local Blitzball player, Wakka."

Sirius waved a hand. "Okay, rewind a little. What is a 'High Summoner'?"

Rikku sighed, before saying, "Right, you guys either have amnesia, or don't know in the first place. Do you guys know Summoning?"

"Do you mean a summoning charm? Something that brings an object to you?" Harry asked.

"That's not it," Rikku said. "Okay, well, crash course in Summoning. Summoners can summon powerful magical beings into battle. These being, Aeons, are actually the spirits of people called Fayth, who willingly turn themselves into statues, and grant their powers to the Summoners they deem worthy. Summoners undertake a pilgrimage to defeat Sin, and along the way, they have to obtain five Aeons at the least from each of the main Temples of Yevon. Valefor of Besaid, Ifrit of Kilika, Ixion of Djose, Shiva of Macalania, and Bahamut of Bevelle. With me so far?"

Harry nodded. "It sounds like powerful magic."

"Oh, it is. And there are other Aeons, apparently, other than the ones I've mentioned, though getting those is optional. There's rumours Baaj Temple was home to a recently-created, but very powerful Fayth. But here's the kicker: in order to fight Sin, the Summoner must go to Zanarkand, and obtain the Final Aeon. It's the only thing powerful enough to kill Sin. The problem is, summoning a Final Aeon kills the Summoner as well."

"…So it's a suicidal journey," Sirius said.

"Yes. And the thing is, Sin disappears for a time. That's a period called a 'Calm'. But Sin always comes back, and in fact, it's only just started coming back recently after Braska's Calm. My father's going to try and stop the Summoners from completing their Pilgrimage. Yevon trains these people into becoming martyrs, all for a futile cause. There has to be another way to stop Sin than this. And I don't want Yuna to die."

"Is there any way we can help?" Harry asked.

"What, you actually want to help us stop the Pilgrimage?"

"And stop Sin," Harry said. "Hermione…a friend of mine," he said, wincing from the reminder of his friend still back at home, "said I have a 'saving people thing'. As long as your people aren't going to keep pointing guns at me and being nasty…"

"Hey, Al Bhed are treated like crap by the rest of Spira because we use machina. It's not like I agree with it, but even so, many of my people think that turnabout's fair play. I'll do what I can. But you still have to work with us. We're leaving the airship to be salvaged by the fleet. We're heading to Home for a couple of weeks, then we'll have to leave for Luca. We'll intercept Yuna there."

* * *

Later, Harry went up onto the deck as the ship made its way back to Home, the Al Bhed stronghold on the desert island of Bikanel. As he stared at the ocean, Rikku joined him, still clad in what was probably her 'casual' clothes. Eventually, she asked, "A gil for your thoughts?"

"Gil?"

"That's our money."

"Oh. Back home, they'd say 'penny'. Or a 'Knut', depending on whether you were talking to a wizard or a Muggle. I mean, non-magic user." Harry looked out across the ocean. "You know, this is actually the first time I've really been on the ocean on a ship."

"Is it? They do have ships on your world, don't they?"

"And planes. You know, aeroplanes."

"Oh, you mean like an airship?"

"I guess. They look a lot like birds, though. And cars. You have cars, don't you?"

"Yeah, but not many work in the desert. We use hovercrafts." She looked at him, before saying, "Well, look, it's going to be a few days before we reach Bikanel. If you and Sirius really are from another world, well, why don't you tell me about it?"

Harry chuckled softly, and then looked out at the ocean. "Well, where to start? Listen to my story. This may be our last chance…"

 **CHAPTER 2 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Tidus is overboard, while Harry and Sirius are now stuck with the Al Bhed. And we have the faintest beginnings of Rikku/Harry. Hakku? Rirry? No, those are crap.**

 **Next chapter, Home! And Cid!**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	4. Chapter 3: Home

**CHAPTER 3:**

 **HOME**

Harry was still telling his story as they were entering Home a few days later. Under armed guard, but the Al Bhed were still wary of letting outsiders into Home. Home itself looked like a massive prison on the outside, despite having the activity of a bustling metropolis.

But on the inside, well, it seemed like home. Harry and Sirius were still acutely aware of the stares they got.

Eventually, they were led into a room, where a man with a bald head and a beard was snarling in Al Bhed into a radio of some kind. "… _complaining! You've been sitting on your asses, and complaining that you hadn't got anything good to salvage, and yet now that you have one, you didn't stop bitching, just what you bitched about! Get to it!_ " He looked up once he switched off the radio.

" _Was that Keyakku?_ " Rikku asked.

Cid nodded, chuckling. " _Damned fool wanted a big salvage, but when I gave him the airship to salvage…I know he's a friend of yours, Rikku, but he's pretty lazy at times._ " His gaze sharpened as he looked at Harry and Sirius. " _Are these two the fools who claim to be from another world?_ "

" _And who can understand you, thank you very much_ ," Sirius replied.

Cid's brow furrowed. " _How did you…?_ "

" _Translation charm._ "

" _No such thing. I don't use magic, true, but I've studied it, and I know that there's no such thing._ "

" _And yet, I'm speaking to you. Nice little conundrum, that. Should we need a fuse for your brain soon?_ "

Harry rolled his eyes. " _Stop being a smartarse, Padfoot. You aren't being serious._ "

" _I'm always Sirius_ ," Sirius retorted.

" _Listen to the boy, Sirius Black_ ," Cid said, having been told their names by Rikku over radio. " _I'm the leader of the Al Bhed. You may think that a cushy position and all, but it means that I'm responsible for the safety of thousands of my people, both here and across Spira. My daughter wanted me to give you and that nutter who thought he was from Zanarkand a chance. And while she's young and needs more experience in these things, she's also got good instincts. So, what do you have to offer?_ "

" _Well, I was a former Hit Wizard back where I was from. From what I understand that, that is rather like an elite police force in Muggle…I mean non-magic user terms. Harry's no slouch when it comes to combative magic either. We can also operate some of the machinery from our world. I once turned a motorbike into a flying one. Harry, from what I understand, is a pretty good cook and gardener, and if we can ever enchant a broomstick or something similar, he's a great flier with quick reflexes. And I can do this._ " He changed into his dog form, barked a couple of times, and then changed back. " _Animagus transformation. I can become a dog more or less at will._ "

Cid crossed his arms, before nodding. " _Well, I'll give you this. I have people with far fewer skills under my command. And you have no objection to working with machina?_ "

Harry scoffed. " _The only reason I'd be wary around it is in case magic causes it to short out._ "

" _All machina have shielding against that, even the old ones_ ," Cid said. After a moment, he said, " _I'll put you, Harry, with Rikku into identification and sorting. I want you to see if you can identify any devices we can't. You, Black, I'll have you training to be security to Rikku's salvage team. I want to see what you've got. I'm putting a lot of trust onto you two on Rikku's say-so. For all I know, you're either Yevonite spies, or else Yevon-loving idiots who've gotten too close to Sin and have forgotten that they should hate Al Bhed. So keep in mind that, should you try anything funny, you'll regret it._ "

* * *

Harry kept Cid's threat in mind as they went down to one of the chambers (any that were obviously weapons were kept in other chambers). Rikku and a guard stood by while Harry was allowed to look at piles of machinery and devices. "It's not like I'm an expert," Harry said in English as he rifled through them. He frowned, once he found something that looked vaguely like Dudley's old Game Boy, complete with a cartridge slot. Putting it on a workbench to look at later, he continued, "A lot of this machinery is not like anything I've seen. And I'm no electrician either." He found one that seemed like an electric shaver, and tested it, cutting a little of his fringe(1). Satisfied, he put that onto the table.

"What was that?" Rikku asked.

"Electric shaver," Harry responded. "You know, for hair."

"And the other thing?"

"I think it might be an old portable gaming thing," Harry said. "Probably needs batteries, not to mention cartridges." As he returned to the pile, he asked, "Rikku, do you guys just salvage the machina, or do you actually build more, even try to improve on it?"

"We try to improve on it, it's just hard to do so. Most of the time, we just dig things out and repair them."

Harry frowned. "Are there any machina that is irreparable? I think I know a spell that can restore them."

"There's a few here and there. We'll have a look through here for a bit longer first, though, see if you can find anything else."

* * *

An hour's worth of mostly-fruitless searching later (he wondered if that was how Arthur Weasley felt, looking at Muggle technology with little to no idea how it worked), Rikku escorted him to the repairs workshop, and to a section of said workshop where the 'hopeless cases' were stored, machina that were considered irreparable, but too potentially valuable to discard.

" _Reparo_ ," Harry said, when shown what looked like a skidoo. A noise came from the vehicle, and Harry would later learn that, after a change of batteries, the thing worked like new. Emboldened, Harry began repairing other things. While many of those things present were completely irreparable, even by magic, Rikku and his escort, along with the dozen or so Al Bhed working in the repairs workshop, were impressed by what he managed to repair, including a few robots, a hovercraft, and what seemed to be a small computer built into a flat tablet the size of a notebook(2). They did decline his offer to repair the other things they were working on: Rikku said that half the fun in learning how machina worked was in repairing it, and they'd only call him down on 'hopeless cases'.

Cid himself came down, and whistled, impressed. In English rather than Al Bhed (and he sounded like he had an American accent, and from the South to boot), he said, "Harry, kid, you did good. I've never seen spells that do that before."

"Our magic is different from yours," Harry replied. "Rikku and I compared notes on the way here. Our magic seems to be less powerful, but more versatile, whereas your magic is more powerful, but less versatile, and certainly more combat-oriented."

"Our magic…y'know, I'm starting to believe that you might have come from another world, if only because I know of no place in the world with a different kind of magic. And believe me, I know about every corner of Spira. Of course, that Tidus kid is another matter."

* * *

There were other repair workshops throughout Home, and Harry spent the rest of the day in two more of them, repairing the so-called 'hopeless cases'. After that, Rikku brought Harry to a small restaurant in Home, where Sirius was waiting, along with Brother. Brother didn't seem happy about Rikku's proximity with Harry, but Harry marked that down to him being protective.

The food was rather spicy, but Harry felt it made a change from the more oily fare at Hogwarts, or the meagre fare at the Dursleys'. The translation charm had an interesting little side-effect, Sirius told Harry earlier. It helped one learn the language faster, and now, Harry could follow Rikku and Brother's conversation without the charm being on him.

" _Is it really true that he repaired a bunch of machina that were hopeless cases?_ " Brother asked.

" _Yeah. Dad saw it, and was pretty impressed. And you know how difficult_ _ **that**_ _is._ "

Brother scoffed. " _Don't I know it. Still, as long as he doesn't turn out to be a Yevonite with Sin toxin amnesia, I guess he could be useful._ "

" _It's rude to talk about people while you're next to them_ ," Harry remarked archly.

" _You're still an outsider. Even if you tolerate machina and Al Bhed_ ," Brother retorted. " _And the Yevonites have left scars that run deep._ "

" _Actually, what's their problem against machines and stuff?_ " Sirius asked. " _And what the hell is Sin? I mean, beyond a bloody huge monster?_ "

Brother scoffed. Rikku then looked to Sirius and Harry. " _Well, the two are related. Sin seems drawn to wherever there are machina, though we don't know why. And what we do know about Sin is pretty fragmented. Yevon destroys a lot of records and stuff, and we only really had a single home relatively recently. Dad was the one who established Home, after all._ "

Brother nodded. " _The thing is, about a thousand years ago, there was this war between Bevelle and Zanarkand. We know this much. Bevelle had a lot of machina, while Zanarkand had Summoners. We don't know exactly what happened, only that Zanarkand got destroyed, and so did a good chunk of Bevelle's army. And Sin was certainly responsible for destroying part of the army._ "

Rikku picked up the story. " _Yuna's actually named for the Zanarkand Summoner who defeated Sin for the first time, Yunalesca. Anyway, after that, Bevelle found religion. There's only a few machina they don't ban, like those for Blitzball, or sphere recorders and transmitters._ "

" _And because we don't kowtow to them, we make a handy scapegoat_ ," Brother said bitterly.

" _So you have to wonder why they're looking the other way while we plan Operation Mi'ihen with the Crusaders._ "

" _What with the what?_ " Harry asked.

Brother glared at Rikku, but the teenaged girl carried on. " _The Crusaders are the main army of Yevon, though Yevon also have the Warrior Monks to safeguard Bevelle and its Temple. They are devoted to defending Spira and its people from Sin. Anyway, the Crusaders made contact with us, looking to make a plan to destroy Sin for once and for all. Dad's sure that the Crusaders themselves are sincere: they may be Yevon's army, but most of them are decent enough people who do a lot of work to protect the people, and more than a few are friendly with the Al Bhed. It's the fact that Yevon is, albeit quietly, showing support. Dad reckons they're hoping that Operation Mi'ihen is a failure, and that they can use that in their propaganda._ "

" _You're saying they're good people because they allowed Gippal to join them(_ _3)_ ," Brother remarked acidly.

Rikku rolled her eyes. " _Gippal and me haven't been an item for a few months before he joined that special branch of the Crusaders. He'd probably like to joke that we were…but Gippal's still a good guy._ "

Brother snorted. " _That special branch won't end well, mark my words, Rikku. Then again, this Operation Mi'ihen seems like it won't end well for the Crusaders, or for anyone who goes there. Don't get me wrong, I know the key to beating Sin lies in machina. The thing has an instinct for destroying it, and maybe that's because the damned thing is afraid of machina. But we need the right kind of machina._ "

Harry, meanwhile, was frowning, deep in thought. Eventually, he asked, " _Rikku, Brother…the Final Aeon thing…that's always the thing to defeat Sin before each Calm?_ "

Rikku nodded, and Brother said, " _Yeah, what of it?_ "

" _Well, what does the Final Aeon do? Does it kill Sin, or disintegrate it, or what? I mean, do the Al Bhed have any recordings of Braska defeating Sin?_ "

" _Maybe. It's not something you'd stick around to watch, but someone might have done it. Why?_ " Brother asked.

" _Sin being immortal, but coming back in another body after apparently being defeated…it sounds a lot like Voldemort. There's got to be a trick to that. I mean, nothing is actually immortal, right?_ "

" _You think the Final Aeon is key?_ " Rikku asked.

" _Well, it's the way Yevon endorses, right? And yet, Yevon is leery of using machina and stuff. I dunno, it's just this suspicion._ "

" _Oh dear Merlin_ ," Sirius muttered. " _My dear godson is turning into a Ravenclaw. Hermione's been a bad influence on you, hasn't she?_ "

" _Even so, he has a point_ ," Rikku said. " _I mean, it could be a coincidence, but the Final Aeon could be key to this whole thing. If we could find out why, then we could tell the Summoners about it. Plus, it could explain why Sin comes back to life. If we could find a way to stop that…_ "

Brother nodded. " _Of course. Look, I'll talk to the archivists tomorrow when I have the time. If we're lucky, we might have a sphere recording. Of course, there's a difference between knowing what's going on, and being able to do something about it._ "

Harry could only agree. The first two Tasks of the Tri-Wizard Tournament came immediately to mind, how he learned of the dragons, and of how he had to dive to the bottom of the Black Lake, and in both scenarios, he had to figure out what to do.

Still, if they had a recording, it was a good start. And maybe, one day, Spira might be free of Sin…

 **CHAPTER 3 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Harry and Sirius getting on the Al Bheds' good side. And some thought about the nature of Sin.**

 **Brother's more eloquent in this work because he is speaking in Al Bhed. I think it takes the relief of pressure of having to deal with Yevon, Bevelle, and Sin for him to become the more goofy character he is in** ** _Final Fantasy X-2_** **, so he's more serious here. He still has impulsive tendencies, but he's more seriously inclined.**

 **1\. This is a reference to a** ** _Final Fantasy X_** **fanfic I stumbled across recently called** ** _Al Bhed Blue_** **by Scottie2, which is apparently nearly complete after over a decade in the writing. The story supposes an AU where Tidus stays with the Al Bhed (Sin never attacks the salvage boat in this story), and earns a place amongst them by actually telling them what some of their more mysterious salvaged machina does. Brother tests him by handing him a device and demanding that he shows what it does. Tidus recognises it as a voice-activated electric razor. This scene, and the mentioning of the electric razor, is a nod to that fic.**

 **2\. Given that canonically,** ** _The Order of the Phoenix_** **is set in 1995/1996, computer tablets only existed in fiction or else as the earliest prototypes. Obviously, the iPad didn't exist back then. So Harry and Sirius don't recognise them.**

 **3\. Gippal, of course, appears in** ** _Final Fantasy X-2_** **, and is mentioned as being an old friend of Rikku's. I wanted to add something about that here.**


	5. Chapter 4: A Kidnapping in Luca

**CHAPTER 4:**

 **A KIDNAPPING IN LUCA**

Luca was the closest Harry had gotten, outside of home, to seeing a proper city on Spira. It was so vibrant and full of life and energy. Of course, it was full of idiots who spat on Al Bhed (literally and figuratively), and Harry, being dressed like one (black hair, as shown with Cid, was rare among the Al Bhed, but not unheard of), was often a target as he checked off a supply list on the docks. He would level a few choice words in English at them, and watch their surprise as they realised he could speak their language fluently. Some of the more irksome ones, he would send a Tripping Jinx their way while their backs were turned.

Instead of glasses, he wore goggles that were modified to help his eyesight. He'd never seen more clearly before in his life. Officially, he was checking off the supplies manifest that was being offloaded. Some of it went to the Al Bhed Psyches, but most of it was being traded with the few people in Luca who would treat with an Al Bhed.

Eventually, after finishing his work, Harry went back on board and went over to Rikku, who was back in her wetsuit gear, goggles, and helmet, while poring over a sphere screen. Over the fortnight Harry had spent at Home, the two became fast friends. She was about as intelligent as Hermione (though there were times when she was a little clumsy, thankfully not when it mattered like, say, where fixing machina was involved), and the vivaciousness of Ginny, though thankfully without Ginny's fangirl-like tendencies.

While Harry and Sirius were not exactly completely accepted at Home, they were certainly earning quite some respect. Harry had helped, through some machina identification and some repairs of some supposedly irreparable machina, advance the Al Bhed's research by several years, and Sirius had earned the respect of the security division by showing how good he was in pitched battle, with both wand and gun. Harry himself was taught how to use weapons. His favourite was a battle boomerang. Sirius, meanwhile, used a rifle.

Harry and Rikku had been sent here to kidnap Yuna, using the Al Bhed Psyches as lookouts for Yuna. The Blitzball team of the Al Bhed were pretty antsy, though. Harry wasn't sure he liked their members. Blitzball was a fairly ruthless sport, but even so, Harry wondered how willing they were to do what it took to win, given their questions. This Blitzball tournament was to honour the 50th anniversary of the current Grand Maester's reign. If they drew too much attention to themselves…

"Hey," Rikku said as he sat down next to her. "You just missed Tidus. He was shooting his mouth off about how the Besaid Aurochs were going to win."

Harry chuckled. "Idiot. At least he's alive and well. So what's this?"

"This is the ship of Grand Maester Mika of Yevon," Rikku explained, pointing to the screen. Harry could see a vast, elaborate, expensive-looking ship. They then cut to a shot of an expectant crowd, and Rikku froze the image, before splitting it in two, the frozen frame on the left of the screen, and the current feed on the right. "And there he is."

Harry spotted the familiar mop of blonde hair. "So, anyone else you recognise?"

"Only from the spy reports and photos." She pointed to a tall, muscled man with a red quiff of hair that made him look like a bodybuilding rooster. "That's Wakka." There was a dark-haired woman dressed in dark clothes with a solemn, even slightly haughty demeanour. And her outfit seemed in perpetual danger of leaving her generous breasts exposed to the world via wardrobe malfunction. "That's Lulu." A tall, blue-furred lion-like being, with a broken horn, was indicated next. "Kimahri, of the Ronso." She pointed, finally, to a girl about their age with light brown hair framing a gentle and demure face, a dark blue long skirt, and a white top. She seemed to vaguely look like a priestess. "And there's Yuna. Don't worry, Yunie, we're coming to get you."

Harry turned his attention back to the live feed, and beheld Mika, a bent-over old man who nonetheless managed to retain a lot of dignity and gravitas. Despite knowing what he did about Yevon, Harry had to admit that Mika obviously had a lot of qualities needed in a leader. Mika then introduced a new Maester, Seymour Guado, who was taking over the reins of his now-deceased father.

Harry wasn't sure what to make of Seymour. His facial expression put Harry somewhat in mind of Draco Malfoy, a sort of self-satisfied near-smirk. And yet, unlike that Slytherin idiot, Seymour spoke with dignity, grace, and gravitas. His handsome features were framed by a bizarre explosion of blue hair, and he was dressed in elaborate clothes. His speech was delivered with a calm dignity.

After all was said and done, Harry said, "Well, I'm going to get into position. Once they notice she's gone, we'll have to move fast."

* * *

As he waited outside, reading a book, he heard a voice saying, in Al Bhed, " _Most people would be glued to the sphere screens, waiting to see the games._ "

Harry rolled his eyes. " _Blitzball isn't my thing._ " He looked up to find a man in a red robe with a massive sword on his back, and his left arm tucked within the robe like a broken arm in a sling. His face, partially hidden by a high collar, was grizzled, with a scar closing his right eye, and dark-tinted glasses just below the eyes. He looked familiar. He soon realised why: this man matched descriptions Tidus made of Auron, his mentor and the man who helped bring him into this world.

The man who might be Auron then said, " _You aren't Al Bhed. Your skin is a touch too pale, and while black hair isn't unheard of amongst them, it's pretty rare. Your Al Bhed diction has an accent, and you don't have the same body language as they tend to. Then again, I don't think I can place your accent._ " He then peered down at Harry, scrutinising him. " _Tell me, did a loud, blonde-haired boy your age ever join you, even if briefly?_ "

" _What's it to you?_ "

" _I know where Tidus is at the moment. I am trying to figure out where he was, if only for my own curiosity's sake. Still, I won't press you. I also know why you are here. You won't be able to stop Yuna's Pilgrimage. It's better that she learns the truth herself._ "

" _And dies?_ "

" _A possibility, but I know Yuna, and Tidus. When you do bring Yuna on board, tell her Auron will be waiting for her just before the Mi'ihen Highroad's entrance._ "

" _So you_ _ **are**_ _Auron._ "

The grizzled man nodded, but as he left, he said, " _The Psyches are about to do something monumentally stupid. They're going to take advantage of Yuna's kidnapping. I'm sure Cid would prefer that Yuna be taken under more quiet circumstances…_ " He then left.

It was at that time that the Al Bhed Psyches' reserve members came to the dock, a dazed Yuna in tow. " _Now we'll definitely win_ ," one of them said.

" _What are you talking about?_ " Harry demanded, turning on his radio.

" _We've sent a message to the friends of this one. One of her Guardians is the captain of the Aurochs. We're facing them first, and…_ "

" _Oh dear sweet Merlin, you did NOT just tell them to throw the game in exchange for her safety…you did, didn't you?_ "

The Al Bhed Psyches looked at him as if he was stupid. " _We haven't had a chance to win a game like this for ages!_ " one of them protested.

" _You idiots! We were meant to get her out quietly. What part of_ _ **quietly**_ _don't you morons understand? Giving a ransom demand is the opposite of discreet!_ "

" _Shut up, outsider! You have no right to criticize us!_ "

" _Actually, he does_ ," Rikku said, heading down the gangway. " _You morons just jeopardised the entire operation. I'm gonna have to notify Dad. You geniuses are going to head back to the stadium. Once this is over, we're going to have a nice talk about sticking to a plan!_ "

One of the Al Bhed Psyche players flashed Rikku a rude gesture, before they shoved the semi-conscious Yuna at Harry. Harry helped the Summoner up the gangway. " _Take her to the cabin we prepared, Harry,_ " Rikku said. " _I'm going to have to activate some machina for guards to delay her Guardians, and then call up Dad._ "

* * *

Soon, Harry brought Yuna into a cabin, and laid her down gently on a bed. She seemed to shake off whatever the idiots had done to her, because she was looking at him. "Who are you?"

"Harry. We're here to rescue you, Yuna."

She chuckled slightly. "From what? It's a pretty odd rescue, kidnapping me."

"Well, I'd say intervening to prevent _suicide_ would be a good justification," Harry said archly. Upon her now serious look, he said, "The Final Summoning, it's a suicide course. I even sat down and watched an old recording some brave Al Bhed made of your father Summoning his Final Aeon in the Calm Lands. That has got to be one of the hardest things I have ever done, and I've faced down a dragon."

Yuna blinked. "But the people of Spira…"

"Yes, I know. You're doing it out of a 'saving people thing'. I should know, I have it myself. But I don't like seeing people who shouldn't die throw away their lives for little reason."

"Little reason? People being able to sleep better in beds, live without fear for years…that's 'little reason'?"

"If it doesn't get rid of Sin for good, yes," Harry said. He understood her conviction, why she was being so selfless. But he didn't like martyrs…especially as he had been dangerously close to being one himself, not so long ago. Only his sudden trip through the Veil, and being apparently trapped on this world with Sirius, had shaken much of it out of him. He still had his saving people thing, but his impulsiveness had been blunted somewhat.

"Harry…" She looked up at him. "Tidus mentioned that two people called Harry and Sirius helped him out. Are you that Harry?"

Harry nodded. "Harry Potter, at your service."

"Do you know someone called Cid?"

"Yeah, your uncle, right? When we get out of Luca, we'll be able to meet him. He's worried about you." Suddenly, a knock on the door, and Harry left the cabin, to find Rikku there.

As he closed the door, and the ship rocked slightly, she said, " _We've got a problem. Yunie's Guardians are getting close, and I told Dad what has happened. He's furious with the Psyches for screwing the pooch on this. If we can stop the Guardians, then we take them with us as our prisoners, or rather, guests. But if not, well, if they defeat the machina we have on guard, then we release Yuna. We'll pick her up again at another point, either during Operation Mi'ihen, or else at the Moonflow._ "

" _Can't we set sail?_ "

" _We're doing so, but_ …" Her radio squawked, and she listened to it. " _Okay, deploy the Oblitzerator!_ " she said. " _Subdue them!_ " Putting the radio back, she said, " _Tidus, Lulu and Kimahri have just stowed away._ "

" _What's the Oblitzerator?_ "

" _An overpowered Blitzball shooting machina_ ," Rikku responded. " _Apparently Wakka's still hanging in there at the Stadium._ "

Harry nodded. " _I'll go back inside. Radio me once the Guardians are knocked out, or win against the Oblitzerator thing._ "

Yuna was praying to herself. As Harry entered, she said, "My friends are here, aren't they?"

"Yeah, and if they manage to stop our machina, we're going to cut you loose. Those idiots in the Psyches saw fit to claim you as ransom in exchange for Wakka throwing the game. If we do set you free, I want you to promise something."

"What is it? I don't begrudge you for your misguided help, Harry, so I won't make trouble for you. I won't give your description to the authorities."

"No, no…it's Tidus. He's from Zanarkand."

"I know this. He told me. I wouldn't believe it normally, except that Jecht did too. And I believed Jecht."

"Well, Sirius and I are from another world entirely, but we learned about the Final Summon, and what lies at the wait of a Summoner's Pilgrimage. Promise me, Yuna, that if we do have to free you, then you tell Tidus what the Final Summoning entails as soon as possible. The longer you keep that a secret, the worse it's going to be."

Yuna, for a time, was silent, before she said, "He's so cheerful, more than anyone I have met. He keeps my spirits up. How can I do that to him?"

"He can take it," Harry said. "It means he'll be more devoted than ever to protecting you. Oh, and another thing. A guy claiming to be Auron said that he'll be waiting for you near the entrance to the Mi'ihen Highroad."

"There were rumours in Luca Lord Auron was seen. Harry, thanks for this. I know you're only doing this out of a misguided sense of trying to help. If you wish to keep me safe, you're more than welcome to join my Pilgrimage."

Before Harry could respond, his radio squawked. Rikku reported that Tidus and the others had triumphed over the Oblitzerator. Sighing, Harry opened the door and gestured. "Your cousin Rikku's going to send the boat back. As far as the others are concerned, you managed to escape from me, okay? We'll meet again, Yuna."

Yuna nodded, before rushing out of the door. Harry followed at a discreet distance. He stayed near the door to the deck, and heard the quiet voice of a woman, presumably Lulu, saying, "I hope you hurt them."

"Only a little." They then got into a conversation with Tidus, who was told about Yuna's lineage. As the ship docked, Rikku radioed Harry. Apparently the Aurochs managed to beat the Psyches, despite a load of dirty tricks, and not just the ransom demand.

Harry scowled at the thought of what the Psyches did. He hoped Cid would give them a right tongue-lashing for their egregious stupidity. And he hoped that, next time they snatched Yuna, they could get her to safety. Then again, she seemed to be so much like him…

 **CHAPTER 4 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Harry's met Auron and Yuna, and has just sown the seeds for a change to the storyline. We'll be skipping in time for a bit for the next chapter, just beyond the match between the Aurochs and the Goers, and the fiend attack on the Stadium. We'll be at the Rin Travel Agency at the Mi'ihen Highroad, where Yuna has finally told Tidus what awaits Yuna at journey's end.**

 **BTW, why did the Al Bhed Psyches use Yuna's situation to try and triumph over the Aurochs in the game? Considering it would have served the Al Bhed's purposes to spirit Yuna away quietly, I decided, for the purpose of this story, that the Psyches were being opportunistic idiots. It makes sense.**

 **Harry, by the way, has his weapon based on those used by Yuffie, Rinoa, and Hope, though he will be more of a Red Mage in terms of skillset. Sirius will be more like Vincent/Irvine, with similar Red Mage skills.**

 **No numbered annotations.**


	6. Chapter 5: Preparations

**CHAPTER 5:**

 **PREPARATIONS**

Outside Rin's Travel Agency on the Mi'ihen Highroad, Tidus was in shock. And he had gone through enough of those lately. From Rikku, he had learned that Zanarkand was destroyed a thousand years ago. He had had a crash course in Yevon and the Summoners on Besaid, and ended up recruited into Yuna's Pilgrimage, albeit by default (he wouldn't quite be accepted as a Guardian until Auron vouched for him after Luca). He had seen the devastation caused by Sin when it wiped out much of Kilika. Then there was Yuna's kidnapping in Luca, winning (barely) against the Goers, having to fight off Fiends in the sphere pool, and witnessing that Seymour guy use some grotesque Aeon to annihilate the Fiends.

There was learning Yuna was half Al Bhed. Then, he learned from Auron that Sin was Jecht. And now, on a cliff looking out to a sunset, he had the biggest bombshell of them all dropped on him, by Yuna. They were discussing the beauty of the sunset, and how Yuna would like to live in a place like the Mi'ihen Highroad.

" _You can, once you beat Sin, right?_ " Tidus had asked.

It seemed like, at first, she had been about to say something else. However, she finally had said, " _I can't._ "

" _Why not?_ "

" _Because…because I will be dead._ "

She then explained, quietly, about what the Final Summoning entailed. The Fayth of the Final Aeon resided somewhere in Zanarkand, in the ruins of what had once been his city. And about the sacrifice all Summoners must make at the end of their journey. About how the Final Summoning would cost Summoners their very lives.

Tidus felt as if he had been pushed over the very cliff he had been sitting on. He was still staring at the horizon bleakly before Yuna was called away by Auron. It wasn't until some minutes later that someone intruded on his thoughts. Lulu was standing next to him. "You really didn't know, did you?" she asked.

"No. Not about this Final Summoning crap being deadly," Tidus said bleakly. He put his head in his hands. "Oh god, I noticed all those little things, all those evasions, but I didn't think anything of them. They all make _sense_ now!"

"Sir Auron told Yuna and myself that you wouldn't have known about this. And Yuna said that someone you knew told her to tell you, for your sake and Yuna's. A mage working with the Al Bhed called Harry Potter."

Tidus looked up to Lulu's face. "Harry's okay?"

"He was amongst Yuna's kidnappers, according to Yuna. The Al Bhed Psyches were trying to take advantage of the situation by demanding Wakka forfeit, but the Al Bhed group Harry was working with was more concerned about her undertaking the Pilgrimage. They wished to prevent her from sacrificing her life. I understand why they did what they did, though I don't appreciate their methods."

"Why?" Tidus asked, too shocked to even yell or scream. Instead, bitterness and anger oozed from his voice. Tears trickled down his face. "Why didn't you…say anything to me? About Yuna dying at the end of this Pilgrimage?"

"At first? I thought you just were affected by Sin's toxin. But after a certain point…it's not like we were hiding it deliberately, just that…it was too hard to say."

"She was like a sister to you. You're really willing to let her do this?" Tidus hissed in outrage.

"She follows her heart, Tidus. We've tried to stop her on so many occasions…but in the end, we've vowed to do our best to protect her." Lulu looked down at him, not with disdain, but with a sympathy that he had rarely seen in the buxom black mage before. "You make her smile, Tidus. You make her laugh…that embarrassing forced laughter duet back at Luca notwithstanding. You brighten our Pilgrimage just by being present. For Yuna's sake, please don't stop. She needs every bit of help during this Pilgrimage that she can get, and not just our skills in combat. Making her laugh and smile without reservation…that is a gift every bit as valuable as your skill with a sword."

"Is that meant to comfort me? 'Cause it isn't."

"It was, but I'm not surprised it didn't. Come inside. Stronger Fiends roam outside at night, and I don't think Yuna or Wakka will take your being eaten very well. And you have grown on me, as well as Kimahri. Come on."

He sighed, then got to his feet. Tidus wasn't looking forward to seeing any of them again. He wasn't sure he could meet their eyes without becoming angry, especially at Wakka, Auron, and Kimahri, though pissing off the Ronso was probably a bad idea anyway.

Still, he was grateful to Yuna for being honest with him at last. Next time he saw Harry, he would have to thank Harry for telling Yuna to confess.

* * *

The next afternoon, at Mushroom Rock Road, Harry was hurrying around, bringing instructions to the various Crusaders. He decided that he liked Captain Lucil of the Chocobo Knights, as well as her enthusiastic second-in-command Elma, and her hapless subordinate, Clasko (Clasko reminded him of Neville, if Neville was into Chocobos rather than plants). The three of them in particular were nice to the Al Bhed, and viewed them as valuable comrades.

He didn't like most of the Yevon representatives there, including some berk called Kinoc, another Maester. A fat, bald, self-important little man who had furtive eyes. There was something about him that reminded Harry unpleasantly of Mundungus Fletcher, if his manners were more polished and he ended up in a position of authority. Some were respectful enough to the Al Bhed, but most sneered, or else looked at them coldly.

He had been brought around here by Rikku, who would pick him up once Operation Mi'ihen was over. Officially, his job was to be a runner for the Al Bhed to help the Crusaders work the cannons and other machina to be used in the operation. Unofficially, he was to keep an eye for Yuna, and snatch her if there was an opportunity. Harry and Rikku doubted that there would be, and so did Cid. Both Cid and Rikku told him to stay out of trouble, stay alive, and keep away from the front lines. Sirius, meanwhile, was helping set up an extraction at the Moonflow.

He caught a glimpse of Yuna and her party coming through, but made no attempt to approach. Tidus was there, thankfully, though he looked somewhat morose. Yuna must've told him. At the time, Harry was taking a break, and was reading a book on the customs of Yevon. When challenged by the Al Bhed for reading stuff like that, he had merely said, " _Know your enemy. And like machina, even Yevonites have an instruction manual._ " This surprisingly worked more often than not.

He was so absorbed in reading the book that he didn't notice Seymour approaching until the man spoke. "Unusual reading material for an Al Bhed," Seymour observed in his quiet, eloquent voice.

Harry looked up to see the Maester looking at him, curiously. He only noticed at this distance that the man had purple eyes. "Well, I'm not an Al Bhed by blood," Harry admitted, "but I'm an Al Bhed by choice. I'm sorry, should I call you Maester, or Maester Seymour, or…"

"Seymour will do," the man said with a wave of his hand and a pleasant smile. "Al Bhed tend not to put much store in Yevon's titles, and in any case, I am only a newly-ordained Maester. I'm still getting used to all the deference, all the bowing and scraping."

"Tell me about it," Harry remarked carelessly.

"Oh? Forgive my curiosity, but why would you say that?"

Harry winced, before he said, "I come from an isolated, remote community of mages, though I had to live with magic-hating relatives until I was eleven. I was viewed as the saviour of their people because I survived a novel instant-death spell, though my parents probably did more about that. They thought I would be some sort of hero, a messiah. But when I claimed that the man who murdered my parents had come back from the grave as an Unsent, well, they didn't want to believe it. They turned on me very easily. I ended up with the Al Bhed by accident, but at least they don't view me with awe. They treat me, well, like I'm just normal, really." Harry named Voldemort as an Unsent, a sort of revenant that sometimes appeared on Spira, when a person had strong ties to the world. People who weren't Sent by Summoners either became Fiends, or Unsent, people who had died, but kept living through sheer force of will.

"How curious. If your story is true, you have my sympathies. I too know what it is like to be an outsider. My revered father, the late and lamented Maester Jyscal Guado, married a human woman, and sired a child with her." Seymour pointed to himself. "Of course, I speak of myself. But at the time when my father was made a Maester, he was forced to exile my mother and myself in order to appease the dissidents amongst the Guado, who hated half-breeds."

"That's still cruel, whether he was forced to or not."

"Of that, I do not dispute. We were exiled to a remote and virtually abandoned Yevon Temple known as Baaj, not far from Besaid. We had a few servants who were willing to treat with us, and we engaged in trade with people from Besaid. But it was still a lonely existence. Later, my mother took me on a Pilgrimage, as a Summoner, hoping that would gain us acceptance with the Guado. She was dying, you see. But at Zanarkand, she decided to become my Aeon, despite my protests. I never used my mother against Sin, and retreated back to Baaj in disgrace, taking my mother's Fayth with me."

"I'm…sorry to hear that, Seymour."

The Maester nodded. "I am heartened to hear an honorary Al Bhed moved by my story. But I do not ask for your sympathy. Many have offered platitudes both sincere and false, while others still have condemned me for my cowardice for not completing my Pilgrimage. My point was more to show that many things unite the people of Spira, despite their manifold differences. Pain, suffering, and death."

"And courage, and tenacity, and love," Harry pointed out.

"Those too. Forgive me, but my thoughts have been somewhat morbid lately," Seymour admitted with a chuckle.

"Living your life with the threat of a genocidal hellbeast the size of a city hanging over your heads will probably do that," Harry joked.

"Sadly, Sin has never gone away completely, and thus, its threat hangs over us all," Seymour said. "Even without Sin, Death is the only thing guaranteed to all of Spira." He gave a slight bow. "Thank you very much for an enlightening conversation…what is your name again?"

"Prongs," Harry said, giving his father's nickname in the Marauders.

"An unusual pseudonym," Seymour observed, clearly noticing that it was a fake name.

"You should hear the one the guy who killed my parents used. 'Voldemort'."

Seymour chuckled. "How utterly pretentious and portentous. Though he must've been some threat." He glanced sharply, towards the command tent. "Excuse me. There are matters that require my attention. Operation Mi'ihen begins at dawn tomorrow. It has been good to speak to you, 'Prongs'. Should you survive tomorrow's events, please, feel free to be my guest at my residence at Guadosalaam." He then moved off.

As creepy and morbid as Seymour had been, Harry felt a pang of sympathy for the young man. To be exiled by his own father to that rain-soaked shithole, well, that seemed immensely depressing. No wonder he seemed a little touched, though at least he was polite and even, well, _nice_.

Even so, Harry was still wary about the man. Leaving aside the fact that he was a high-ranking official of Yevon, there was something about him that had Harry's instincts screaming, though he didn't know exactly why. Sure, there were the creepy and morbid thoughts, but there was something else, something indefinable.

That night, in the mess, more than a few Al Bhed accused him of being in league with Yevon, all for just having a chat with Seymour, as well as the book he read. Harry swiftly lost his patience for such things, and began using Body-Binds on those who pissed him off. Brother, who was supervising the final preparations before the operation, stood up for Harry publicly. However, he did warn Harry to not go anywhere near Seymour again, and to be discreet about his reading material.

He also privately agreed with Harry that this looked like Yevon was deliberately setting things up to be a disaster. The problem was, until they could fix the airship, now dubbed the _Fahrenheit_ , and get its weaponry systems ready, Operation Mi'ihen was one of the better rolls of the dice in the fight against Sin.

The problem is, it probably wouldn't be anywhere near enough…

 **CHAPTER 5 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Tidus has been told about Yuna's fate earlier than in canon, and Harry and Seymour end up having a surprising heart-to-heart. Next chapter will be a brief timeskip to the aftermath of Operation Mi'ihen, and Yuna's Sending of the dead of Operation Mi'ihen…with surprising consequences for Harry.**

 **I think not enough depth was given to Seymour as a character in the game, even with what we learn about Anima and all, so I deliberately added this talk with Harry to give him a nuance or two. He's still a batshit crazy would-be nihilist wearing a mask of civility and humility, but he enjoys talking to intelligent people, and Harry's story struck a chord in him.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	7. Chapter 6: Unforeseen Consequences

**CHAPTER 6:**

 **UNFORESEEN CONSEQUENCES**

Consciousness returned slowly, and pain accompanied returning awareness. Harry groaned as he picked himself off the ground. _Why, oh, why do I have this 'saving people thing'?_ he thought groggily to himself.

" _Hey, you're awake!_ " came a familiar voice. Brother was standing over him, and looked relieved at Harry's survival. Harry didn't know whether this was because Brother liked him, or else because Rikku would have been distraught at his death. He hoped it was both. " _We'll be leaving soon. Rikku and her ship are here._ "

Harry shook his head to clear it. Memories of Operation Mi'ihen came back in nightmarish flashes. He remembered Yuna and her party having to fight off a Sinspawn, a Fiend created by Sin, and which was originally meant to lure Sin to the shore near Mushroom Rock Road. He remembered Sin firing off an energy wave that disintegrated most of the Chocobo Knights and other Crusaders in a nightmarish flare. He remembered the Al Bhed energy weapon firing upon Sin…but Sin managed to overwhelm it. He remembered running into the ruins, and pulling out the operators, only to be overcome by smoke, and passing out.

" _How many died?_ " Harry asked in a rasp.

Brother looked away with a scowl. " _Too many of us, and too many of the Crusaders. And Yevon's already crowing about it. Oh, they're being solemn and sad, but that Seymour looked too damned smug about it. So too did that Kinoc bastard. Yuna's about to do a Sending. In a way, I'm glad she's doing so. As much as I hate the Summoners' Pilgrimage, it's a shame we don't have any to do Sendings on Bikanel. Damned Yevon._ "

Harry nodded. " _Can I watch the Sending?_ "

" _Just the first one. We'll have to go soon._ "

* * *

One skill that Summoners were taught were how to do a Sending. It was basically a funerary rite, whereupon the souls of the dead were guided to the afterlife of this world, the Farplane. Some people accepted their own death, and made their way to the Farplane without assistance, but others coalesced into Fiends, monsters made out of Pyreflies, strange 'living' lights that seemed to compose lifeforce and soul.

And, of course, there were the Unsent, people who died, but managed to retain their physical form and soul, effectively becoming immortal. They could even become Fiends of a stronger kind, apparently. Apparently there were a few benign Unsent around, but they were treated with fear by Yevon.

Yuna, accompanied by Lulu and Kimahri, went to do the first Sending. Harry joined them. "Harry," Yuna said, recognising him.

"So, you are one of the people who helped kidnap Yuna, albeit with noble intentions?" Lulu asked.

Harry nodded, trying not to look at the buxom Black Mage's cleavage. "I'm not here to start anything. I just wanted to see a Sending. Never have before."

The Ronso rumbled, "Kimahri protect Yuna. Harry will not try anything."

"Kimahri, it's all right," Yuna said. Then, she said to Harry, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Besides your concern, well, there's your advice to tell Tidus. He…didn't take it well, and he's still somewhat sad. But if anything, his fervour as a Guardian has increased. And I think he'll be back to his old self soon."

"Yuna…" Lulu reminded the Summoner.

"Right." Harry was beckoned over to Lulu's side, and eventually, Yuna began doing some sort of elaborate ritual dance, singing the Hymn of the Fayth while moving her staff through a series of motions. It was utterly beautiful to watch, and utterly solemn. Harry was fascinated as Pyreflies began to waft from the bodies of the dead.

Unfortunately, it was all spoiled when he felt a sudden, stabbing pain in his head. He collapsed to his knees with a scream. "Harry?!" Yuna called out.

"Complete the Sending, Yuna! Any interruption is dangerous!" Lulu commanded. "I'll look after him."

Lulu supported him, keeping him from falling onto all fours, but Harry felt the pain in his scar, felt vile liquid oozing from it, before a single, sickly-looking Pyrefly wafted from his scar, emanating a scream, before vanishing.

* * *

In the world Harry left behind, a series of artifacts, with dark enchantments, emanated strange, moving balls of light that screamed in pain. Voldemort himself, drunk with triumph over the vanquishing of Harry Potter, began screaming in pain, before he dissolved into nothingness, a single Pyrefly floating from him, in front of so many of his supporters.

The war against Voldemort wasn't completely won that day. But with the death of their leader, most of the Death Eaters abandoned the organisation. Some remained loyal, thinking that he would return one day.

But he never did. He never would. Snape reported the event to Dumbledore who, while prepared for Voldemort's return in any case, still believed that it would certainly be a blow to him. Thankfully, neither he nor the Order would ever have to worry about the Dark Lord ever again. Yuna's Sending, echoing along the link between Harry and Voldemort, even across worlds, had sent his vile soul on to its final destination, wherever that was…

* * *

Soon, Yuna was finished, and hurried over to Harry, who was only now recovering. "Are you all right Harry?"

"I feel like I got hit over the head with a Beater's bat," Harry groaned. Then, he realised something. The scar…somehow, it had a connection to Voldemort. And a Pyrefly was part of the soul.

Had he been carrying part of Voldemort's soul with him the whole time?

"You can't be an Unsent," Lulu mused. "You would have dispersed by now, and I only saw the one Pyrefly. You seem fine enough."

"Yeah…I think the bastard who killed my parents left me with more to remember him by than just a scar. I think it might have been part of his soul. This explains a lot."

Yuna frowned. "A parasitic soul fragment? I have heard of such things, albeit in the vilest rituals prohibited by Yevon. People deliberately turn themselves into Unsent, putting fragments of their souls into objects."

"That's probably not far off the mark. I don't know exactly how or why, but you probably saved me from something bad," Harry said. "Thanks, Yuna."

She smiled, and gave a brief bow. "You're welcome."

As he made to leave, Lulu said, "Wait."

"I need to get going before long," Harry complained.

"I know. But I need to know something first. Tidus said you and another mage called Sirius Black came from another world. You didn't claim to come from Zanarkand, but a city filled with machines, and where magic is hidden."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, though it's hard to prove. I mean, I've heard of magical vows, but I don't think you'd accept those."

"How about a spell I probably haven't seen before?"

Harry grinned when he thought about one. With a flair, he took out his wand, and said, " _Expecto Patronum!_ "

The antlered form of a stag, apparently made out of silvery mist, jetted out of the wand, and cantered over to Yuna, Lulu, and Kimahri. Lulu gaped. "What…is that?"

"A Patronus. It's not unlike an Aeon, but it's really only good for attacking a particularly vile creature called a Dementor. Oh, and apparently it's good at bringing messages."

"I've never seen such a spell in my life," Lulu admitted. "Nor have I heard of one."

"Magnificent creature," Kimahri remarked in his rumbling tone.

Yuna laughed slightly. "It's beautiful."

"Yeah. My dad had something similar." With a gesture, he dismissed the Patronus. "Anyway, gotta get going. See you guys later." And with that, Harry scurried off.

* * *

Watching his form recede, Lulu said, "It's not impossible that an isolated community has developed such a spell. But even so, I have never even heard of something like that. Maybe Tidus was right."

"Where is he, anyway?" Yuna asked, concern tinging her tone again.

"Auron seeks Tidus," Kimahri said. "Auron says Tidus lives."

"Once we're together again, and the Sendings are done here, we will head to the Djose Temple," Lulu said. "Are you all right, Yuna?"

Yuna nodded, though there was doubt on her face. Lulu knew why. She had just seen death and destruction on a massive scale. "Yevon…they were expecting this to happen," she said quietly. "They set them up to fail. Why?"

"Politics," Lulu said, disgustedly. "I cannot fault the Temples outside of Bevelle, but Bevelle itself…you saw how Kinoc acted. Of course, Wakka would consider this heresy. It _is_ heresy, but…he is wilfully blind to many of Yevon's faults. And I see too many of them."

"But we continue the Pilgrimage?" Yuna asked.

"For the sake of the people of Spira, not for the sake of Yevon," Lulu said.

* * *

Harry lost his way on the way to the boat, and so it was while he was trying to find his way back that he came across the young woman in black, form-fitting trousers and a strange, black top studded with metal. Her short, boyish quiff of hair was dark silver in colour, and her eyes red. She was running towards him a sword in hand. "Hey, are you all right?" Harry asked.

"Run!" the woman yelled.

Harry didn't need to be told twice, not when he began hearing angry shouts. They ended up near the boat at the shoreline. Thinking quickly, he halted her, plucked the Cloak of Invisibility from a pocket, and draped it over her. A group of Yevon soldiers, apparently from the Warrior Monks, came by, led by the rotund form of Kinoc. "You, where did she go?" Kinoc demanded.

Harry pointed, in the direction of the Mi'ihen Highroad where it headed to Luca. "The bitch nearly gutted me with her sword! She's probably going to steal one of the Chocobos!"

"Damn!" Kinoc snarled. "Thanks! She's a crazed deserter who has murdered some of my men." To his men, he yelled, "Come on, we might just be able to catch her!"

After the squad left, Harry whipped the Cloak off her, and grabbed her hand, only for her to yank it out. "They'll be back soon," Harry hissed. "Are you willing to take your chances with them, or with the Al Bhed?"

"What do you think?!" the woman demanded in a hiss of her own, though she seemed to be a teenager only a couple of years older than Harry on closer inspection. The two of them ran to the ship, where Brother was waiting impatiently.

" _You took your time! Who's this one?_ " he demanded.

" _Fugitive from Yevon. They claim she's a deserter. Given that Kinoc was trying to kill her, I'd say she could do with a lift._ "

" _Do you trust her?_ "

" _She was running away. And she told me to run as well. We'll drop her off later._ "

" _Is this a private conversation, or can anyone join in?_ " the girl asked archly in Al Bhed.

" _You know Al Bhed?_ " Brother asked, surprised.

" _My team-mate, Gippal, taught me._ "

" _Gippal? You were with Gippal?_ " Then, Brother shook his head. " _Never mind. Get on board. We're leaving now! Harry, you're watching her. If she tries anything, toss her overboard._ "

* * *

Harry and the teenager he had rescued remained on the deck as they moved out. Rikku eventually emerged from the ship's bowels. "So, Harry, I hear you picked up a stray?" Rikku asked wryly.

"This stray has claws and teeth," the teenager said. She acted like a woman easily five, ten years her senior, calm and self-assured, but with an acid edge to her tongue, and a cynical look in her red eyes.

"Brother told me you know Gippal," Rikku said to the newcomer. "Is he okay?"

"Last I saw him, he was running for his life. And with good reason. Nooj, Baralai, Gippal…I hope they made it out alive. We were the only ones left."

"Did your squad participate in Operation Mi'ihen or something?" Harry asked.

"No, but I'd be willing to bet that fat bastard Kinoc timed our mission to coincide with it so that any casualties would be covered up. No, I'm with the Crimson Squad, which was supposed to be the elite squad of the Crusaders. We had a mission in a cave in Mushroom Rock Road, and…it doesn't matter. I don't want to talk about it."

"Look, that's fine. As long as you're not going to make any trouble, we'll take you to our next port of call," Rikku said. "Or you could join up with the Al Bhed if you want."

"I'll think about it. Not like I have a lot of options," the young swordswoman remarked. She looked at Rikku. "You're Rikku, aren't you? Gippal spoke about you quite a bit."

Rikku nodded. "But what's your name?"

The newcomer seemed to consider this for a time, before saying, "My name is Paine."

 **CHAPTER 6 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Hoowee, how's that for a chapter? Not only did the Horcrux get removed (and Voldemort got Sent: YEAH!), but Harry and Rikku have been joined by Paine! I've actually been thinking about this for a long time, bringing Paine into this story. Given how she turns up basically out of nowhere in** ** _Final Fantasy X-2_** **, I thought this might be a good point in this fanfic to introduce her. I'm actually strongly considering having her join Yuna's pilgrimage, alongside Harry, Rikku, and Sirius. Not only that, but we will get some backstory for her.**

 **No numbered annotations for this chapter.**


	8. Chapter 7: Catch and Release

**CHAPTER 7:**

 **CATCH AND RELEASE**

"This is definitely a very bad idea," Paine remarked as they finished setting up the capture machina.

"You remind me of Moony," Sirius Black said. "He was the voice of boredom…I mean _reason_ , in the Marauders. Where's your sense of adventure?"

"It died in the Den of Woe, and I nearly followed it," Paine said, absolutely deadpan.

"C'mon, cheer up, Paine," Rikku said.

"This **is** me being cheerful. You don't want to see me upset."

Harry sighed as he helped Rikku slot another part into place. He would actually be piloting the machina with Rikku, while Sirius and Paine waited on the shore. Paine, despite her cynical attitude, helped them out. In fact, it was partly because of her cynical attitude that she helped them out. She didn't like the Summoner's Pilgrimage either.

Shortly after coming here, Harry had told Sirius about what happened in Operation Mi'ihen, and what came after. Sirius began swearing profusely when he heard about what happened during the Sending a few days before. He had heard something of what that entailed: Harry, or rather his scar had, inadvertently, been turned into something called a Horcrux. A Horcrux, from what little Sirius knew (and most of that from his family's darkest grimoires), involved fracturing the soul through murder and a ritual, whereupon a fragment of the soul would be placed into an object. That way, even if the Horcrux creator died, their soul would be tied to the world.

Sirius, however, didn't think Voldemort made Harry into one deliberately. It was far more likely that he intended to use Harry's death to create a Horcrux on that Halloween night in 1981. And Sirius speculated, though he had little actual proof, that Voldemort had created so many Horcruxes that his soul was unstable, and so his soul was shattered into at least two pieces, one of which made it into Harry.

Harry recalled the Diary. It must've been a Horcrux. And Sirius told him that Horcruxes needed to have the object carrying them destroyed utterly to get rid of them. And that meant that Harry probably would have had to die. Or at least he would have had, if it weren't for the sending.

They decided that Dumbledore knew about this, or else suspected it. Whether he truly wanted Harry to die, neither of them had any idea, but Harry's regard for Dumbledore sunk to a new low regardless. And his desire to head back home was lessened significantly. He only hoped that Hermione, Neville, the Weasleys, the DA and Lupin survived what was coming.

Once they finished the final assembly, they stood back and looked at their handiwork. It was partially derived from the Oblitzerator that they had used in Luca, only upgraded. Eventually, Harry said, "Is it meant to look like the bastard mutant offspring of a snowglobe and a spider?"

"Yes," Rikku sighed. "You and I will be piloting it. There's air supplies, but just in case Tidus and Wakka decide to attack us, I might need you to cast that Bubblehead Charm on me real quick, Harry. I'm good at holding my breath, but only when I've had time enough to prepare. And frankly, I want to avoid drowning."

"Don't we all?" Harry asked wryly. They clambered into the cramped cockpit of the machine, the two of them affixing oxygen masks to their mouths.

Sirius, who was now manning a radio and keeping a lookout on the other side of the Moonflow, called to them. " _Okay, kids, it looks like they're getting ready to cross the Moonflow. They've just paid for their Shoopuf ride. Harry, Rikku, stay safe, for Merlin's sake._ "

"Got it, Sirius," Rikku replied, her voice hollow-sounding thanks to the oxygen mask. She activated the machina's walking mechanism, and as it sunk into the river, the cockpit began to flood. Harry, who was tasked with keeping an eye on the readings, actually felt strangely calm as the water surrounded him and Rikku. If they were lucky, they would be able to get Yuna away from her suicidal course.

* * *

As they waited on the riverbed, Rikku switched off the external radio, or at least the sending channel. Sirius could still call them, but they'd need to turn it back on again. The internal radio was left on, though. " _So, that Paine girl, right?_ " Rikku asked, her voice crackling from the radio line. " _She's pretty hard, isn't she?_ "

" _They seem to make you fighters young on Spira_ ," Harry remarked. " _Besides Kimahri and Auron, Yuna's guardians are all in their teens or twenties. Seymour said his mother took him to Zanarkand when he was young. He could have been just a kid at the time. And you…you're only my age._ "

Rikku chuckled. " _You told me how you've been fighting this Voldemort guy since you were eleven. You're not so different._ "

" _Yeah, but our world doesn't have the threat of a massive monster hanging over our heads. I should be the exception, not the rule._ "

Harry felt her hand on his back, moving in soothing circles. In Al Bhed, she said, "And you still fight here, despite that. You're one of the bravest guys I know, Harry. And considering what Spira has to go through on a daily basis, I see a lot of that anyway. But you're pretty high up, considering you come from another world, and yet, you don't freak out about much."

Harry smiled beneath the oxygen mask. "Seen too much to freak out at every new thing," he said in Al Bhed, reaching over and patting her on the back.

Sirius suddenly called. " _Okay, it's showtime, people. The Shoopuf is entering the Moonflow._ "

* * *

It went wrong fairly quickly. Harry left the machina to try and snatch Yuna, and managed to drag her into the capture bubble. Unfortunately, as he re-entered the cockpit, Wakka and Tidus pursued them, and managed to get a lucky hit on the propellers, preventing them from getting away easily. They were almost sitting ducks, and unfortunately, Wakka and Tidus took advantage of that.

Tidus and Wakka soon snatched Yuna out of the capture bubble as the machina failed. Harry hurriedly cast the Bubble-Head Charm on Rikku, having done so on himself earlier, and began hurriedly swimming for shore. Rikku had been dazed by a knock to the head when the machina failed, so Harry had to swim for them both. She only recovered as they reached the shore, where Sirius and Paine waited.

As Sirius helped them onto dry land, Paine, her arms crossed, remarked, "The mission was clearly not successful."

"We'll have to try another tack," Harry groaned. "Rikku, Sirius, we'll ditch the Al Bhed gear. What's the old saying? If you can't beat them, join them. Can we get Cid or Brother on the horn?"

Sirius nodded. "I told Cid and Brother this was our Plan B. Neither were enthusiastic, but Cid is hoping we can somehow direct Yuna to Bikanel anyway."

Rikku nodded as she divested herself of her wetsuit, revealing her casual clothes underneath. "So, we're joining Yunie's Pilgrimage, and hoping we can divert her?"

"It's as good a plan as any, I guess," Paine said.

About five minutes later, Tidus came running up the road. "Hey, it's you guys," he said, recognising Harry, Sirius, and Rikku. "What're you guys doing here?"

"Getting beaten up by you," Harry remarked.

"You meanie," Rikku added, poking her tongue out.

Tidus blinked. "Wait a moment, that machina was you?"

"His deductive skills are astonishing," Paine said, deadpan.

"But…why were you kidnapping Yuna?" Tidus demanded.

"Yuna told you about the Final Summoning, didn't she?" Harry asked. On Tidus' nod, Harry said, "We're trying to stop the senseless death. That's all."

"Lulu told me that you told Yuna to tell me. Thanks, Harry. But even so…"

"We're not here to start anything, Tidus," Sirius said. "We're going to join your little group."

Before anyone could say anything further, the others came up. "Hey, are these friends of yours, Tidus?" Wakka asked.

"Yeah. I met Sirius and Harry when I first ended up in…Baaj Temple, was it? And Rikku got us all out of there," Tidus said.

Sirius grinned. "Sirius Black. At your service."

"Harry Potter," Harry said.

"I'm Rikku. Pleased to meet you!" Rikku cheered.

"I am Paine," Paine said. "A survivor of Operation Mi'ihen."

Wakka came over. Harry knew the burly, rooster-haired man was a Yevon fanatic, but he was at least good-natured. And Harry realised that, without the goggles and helmet and wetsuit, Wakka didn't recognise him as Yuna's would-be abductor during their crossing of the Moonflow. "Wow, so you owe them your life, Tidus? What luck meeting them here, ya? Praise be to Yevon." He made the distinctive 'prayer' to Yevon, cupping his hands as if holding a ball, before giving a slight bow. He then peered at them in genuine concern. "Hey, Harry, Rikku, you two look a bit beat-up. What happened?"

"Monster ambush," Harry said quickly. "An Ochu nearly got us."

"Wakka?" Lulu said. "We need to discuss something with Rikku in private."

As the three girls went off, Auron and Kimahri approached. Auron then went over to Paine. Harry realised that Paine's eyes were widened ever-so-slightly in surprise. "It's been a long time, hasn't it, Paine?" Auron asked.

"Ten years since Braska defeated Sin," Paine replied, coldly. "Ten years since you seemingly vanished from the face of Spira. Without you, my… _father_ did what he wished with my mother." Without warning, and with all the speed of a striking snake, she viciously punched him in the groin.

Auron staggered, his face screwed up in pain, but it was to his credit that he didn't fall. Wakka, however, said, outraged, "This is Sir Auron, the Guardian of Lord Braska! How dare you hit him, and like that too?! I mean, it's a low blow hitting a man there, ya?"

Sirius nodded rapidly. "Yeah, Paine. Why'd you do that?"

Auron chuckled a rasping chuckle. "Wakka…Sirius….I deserved that. I deserved that for not looking after my niece."

"Your _niece?_ " Harry demanded. "She's _your niece?!_ "

"My older sister married a rather petty little official in Bevelle," Auron said. "He was one of Yevon's less salubrious members. The less said about him, the better. Bad memories for the both of us, I daresay." He then looked at Paine. "You still practise your swordsmanship?"

"Of course," Paine said with a roll of her eyes. " _Ten years_ , though. _Ten years_. Where have you been?"

"Fulfilling a promise to Jecht," Auron said, looking at Tidus pointedly. "Do you intend to join Yuna's Pilgrimage, Paine?"

"If they are, I am."

Auron then looked over at Harry and Sirius. "And you two? Are you prepared to lay down your lives to protect Yuna?"

Harry nodded. "But it won't come to that. Anyway, I'd rather make the other buggers lay down their lives."

Auron chuckled again. "Confident…but a better attitude to have."

Soon, Rikku, Yuna, and Lulu returned. "Sir Auron, I would like Rikku, along with Harry, Sirius, and Paine, to become my Guardians," Yuna said.

Rikku didn't look at Auron, and Harry could guess why. He would be able to tell that she was Al Bhed, at a guess. Harry went over to her, and put an arm around her shoulder. She stiffened, and then seemed to become more resolute. "Rikku, you can trust him."

"Indeed. Look at me."

Taking her strength from Harry, she looked at Auron right in the eyes. No doubt he could see her green iris and swirly pupil.

"As I thought," Auron said, his voice betraying little.

"What, no good?" Rikku asked.

"Are you certain that you want to do this?" Auron asked.

"Absolutely," Rikku said with a smile. "So, are we Guardians now?"

"Yuna wishes it."

Tidus nodded. "They're good people…well, I don't know Paine, but I do know the others. They've helped me out a bunch."

"Well, I'm for it," Wakka said with a broad grin. "The more, the merrier, ya?"

Rikku matched his grin with her own. "Then I'll just have to be the merriest, eh?"

Paine rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Spare me. This isn't a picnic. This is a serious expedition."

"…I take it back," Sirius said. "You're _worse_ than Moony."

* * *

As they made to go off, Rikku dragged Harry to one side first. "Thanks for helping me earlier," she said quietly.

"You would have done the same thing for me, wouldn't you?" Harry asked.

"Of course!" she said with a grin. "Frankly, if we're talking about life debts and crap, well, I saved your asses from getting shot by my squad when we met in Baaj. But we don't work like that. Even so…" Suddenly, she grasped his head, and brought her lips to meet his own. He was surprised by the intimate gesture, but he found himself accepting it. They had only known each other for less than a month, but they were already fairly good friends. And more was said between them about their relationship in that kiss than anything they had said to each other before.

Even so, once they broke away from each other, Harry asked, "Why?"

She smiled, a little sheepishly. "Well, we might die during this. I want to have as few regrets as possible. I mean, you _did_ like it, didn't you?"

Harry mirrored her smile, and nodded. "Yeah. But we'd better get back. Guadosalaam's their next destination, right?"

"Yeah. And the Thunder Plains," she said with a shudder.

"Don't worry," Harry said. Rikku had told him about the Thunder Plains, and her astraphobia, her fear of thunder. "If we have to cross them, I'll use a sleep spell or something and carry you."

She giggled nervously. "Thanks," she said, sincerely. "Now, let's get going."

As they rejoined the party, Harry realised that, with heading to Guadosalaam, they might be entering the lion's den. Seymour might recognise him, if only through his voice. And even if that didn't come to pass, they were now undergoing a very delicate balancing act, to try and make sure that Yuna didn't complete her Pilgrimage…or at least didn't use the Final Aeon.

But could they stop Yuna? Or was her suicidal fate set in stone?

 **CHAPTER 7 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Harry, Rikku, Sirius and Paine join Yuna's Pilgrimage. Not only that, but we get a bit of fluff between Harry and Rikku, and we learn of a connection between Auron and Paine. Totally made up for this fanfic.**

 **While it is possible that Auron and Paine are father and daughter (he's 35, she's 17 by the time of these events, so it is perfectly possible), it's probably been done so many times, it's not funny, so I decided to make them uncle and niece instead. I also thought that Paine needed additional catalysts for her cynicism other than the whole Den of Woe thing. Her father was a drinker and a fiend (to quote** ** _The Dark Knight_** **), her uncle Auron was first disgraced (for refusing to accept an arranged marriage, which is actually canon) and then lauded, but disappeared for a decade, and Paine's mother died not long before she joined the Crimson Squad.**

 **Review-answering time! Thanks to all of you who praised my adding Paine to this story. It was something I had in mind for a while, especially as she seems to come out of nowhere in** ** _Final Fantasy X-2_** **. I hope you like what I wrote above about her relationship with Auron is.**

 **Sakura Lisel** **: It's possible that he was a close relative, though whether he was a brother remains to be seen. I actually call Gippal a friend, but I never mention his relation to Rikku or Cid.**

 **Still Not Dead Yet** **: The wizards (for the most part) would see the Spirans as Muggles. As for your argument that Harry wouldn't recognise his martyrdom complex, assume it was part of the argument that he and Sirius had shortly after arriving at Baaj.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	9. Chapter 8: Seymour's Interest

**CHAPTER 8:**

 **SEYMOUR'S INTEREST**

Upon arriving in Guadosalaam, they were escorted by one of the Guado, a bearded elderly one by the name of Tromell. Seymour had extended an invitation to his manor. However, shortly after entering, Tromell took Paine and Harry through further into the manor, as Seymour wanted to see them privately. Harry didn't understand why, but he didn't like it.

When they were led through into a private chamber, they found the Maester speaking to a young man with dark skin and white hair. But the conversation ended abruptly when the young man and Paine caught each other's eyes. "Paine?" the young man asked, astonished.

"Baralai?" Paine demanded. "What are you doing here?"

"Baralai has sought refuge within my household. He has told me of Maester Kinoc's idiocy and heavy-handedness," Seymour said, turning to face them. "Alas, it seems that the experience was too much for the Deathseeker."

"Nooj shot us in the back, Paine, and then fled," Baralai snarled contemptuously. "Rin saved us, healed our wounds, and he gave me passage on a Chocobo to where I wanted to go. I thought I'd try seeking refuge here in Guadosalaam, at the household of Maester Seymour."

"Only another Maester can match the power of a Maester," Seymour said.

"Wait, wait, hold up, Nooj shot you and Gippal in the back?" Paine demanded. "Why would he do that?"

It was Seymour who answered. "I believe that the Den of Woe was one bad experience too many for Nooj. He is known as the Deathseeker, after all. Nobody with such an appellation can be considered to have a healthy mind."

"There was that malign influence in the Den of Woe," Paine pointed out. "The one that drove people to kill each other. Maybe it escaped with Nooj."

Baralai scowled, not liking that answer. The two of them walked over to a corner, and began talking. Harry frowned. "And I am here…why, exactly?"

"Simple. I wished to speak to you privately. I thought that Paine would be gladdened to see her comrade alive once more. Whereas you are an intriguing anomaly. You are no Al Bhed, but you ally with them willingly, despite their status as the scapegoats of Yevon."

"I'm surprised to hear you call them that."

"I know of the realities of politics, 'Prongs'. Actually, Tromell had a small sphere communications device on him, and I heard Yuna and her Guardians call you 'Harry'. I presume that is the name you answer to."

Harry winced, but said, "Yes, my name is Harry Potter."

"Hmm. A novel name. I don't think you told me the whole truth about yourself. You didn't quite lie, rather, you told lies of omission," Seymour observed. "Your story had much of the ring of truth, you just seemed to omit certain details. And your eyes…they are like the eyes of a Summoner, only one not resigned to their death. They are the eyes of someone who will fight to survive to the bitter end. Only the Zanarkand refugee, Tidus, has eyes quite like that."

"Wait, you believe him? How did you hear about it?"

"He's somewhat loud and indiscreet, and tales reached my ears. As it is, I know perhaps a bit more about where he may have come from than even he knows(1)," Seymour remarked. "But where do you come from, Harry Potter? Your accent is certainly unfamiliar. So too are your mannerisms. And you're certainly no Unsent. Even a half-Guado like myself is sensitive to the smell of Pyreflies and the Farplane, and you don't smell of those."

"Is that why you wanted to see me? Curiosity?"

"Curiosity is no sin. I'm just wondering where exactly you come from."

Harry shrugged. Seymour's scrutiny was making him very uncomfortable, but he tried not to show it. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Let's just say that I can't go home ever again."

"A pity. Still, I won't keep you from your duties as Guardian." He turned to Paine and Baralai, who were looking on. "Paine, do you wish to continue with Lady Yuna, or stay here with Baralai?"

"I swore to be Yuna's Guardian," Paine said. "And I hope Baralai is safe with you."

"Do you doubt the word of a Maester?" Seymour asked lightly.

"After Kinoc, yes."

"…Fair enough. Your doubt is painful, but understandable. Well then, I will lead you back to your friends."

* * *

They came back to find Tromell praising Seymour to the others. Seymour said, "That is enough, Tromell. Must I always endure such praise?" To Yuna and her Guardians, he said, "Welcome."

Harry was still not sure to make of Seymour. He was creepy, true, but Harry didn't know whether that was a quirk of being a Guado-human hybrid, or whether he was a nasty sort, or whether he just merely acted in a way that was tangential to the rest of society.

The manor itself was interesting, but weird. It seemed to be hollowed out from the inside of a living tree, portraits lining the walls. This dining hall had tables laden with various foods, and Harry went over to one with Rikku, who was munching on a fruit. He took one as well, and enjoyed it immensely.

As Yuna and Seymour exchanged pleasantries, Auron intervened. "Please, keep this short. Yuna must rush."

"Are you really in that much of a hurry to make her a martyr?" Sirius asked Auron acidly, before biting into a fruit from the table. He was acutely aware of the stares of everyone in the room on him.

"He has a point," Harry remarked.

Seymour chuckled softly. "I must say, Sir Auron, that your fellow Guardians have a better wit that you do."

"Hmph," was Auron's only contribution to that debate.

"In any case, you must forgive me, as it has been a long time since I have entertained guests, other than the officials of Yevon. Once you have finished, then I would ask you all to come with me. I have something that may be of interest to all of you." His eyes fell on Tidus. "Especially you, Tidus…" And then, his gaze went to Yuna. "And you, Lady Yuna."

* * *

Seymour's exhibition was doubtlessly spectacular. He brought them to a room, and then activated a sphere recording. All around them, a massive, futuristic city formed from the very air, filled with technology and people. Despite that, there was almost an inherent beauty to the place, a soul. Tidus identified it as Zanarkand, and Seymour confirmed it. The recording was derived from the memories of those wandering the Farplane: Zanarkand, as it was before Sin wiped it out.

Harry stood close to Rikku, putting a protective arm around her waist, even as they stared at the wonders of Zanarkand unfold around them. Quietly, she whispered into his ear, "Imagine what sort of machina they had."

They were brought to a house that seemed to be the destination of Seymour's little show and tell. And when they saw the resident within, Yuna gasped. "Lady Yunalesca!"

Harry stared at the lavender-haired woman, dressed in what looked like little more than a skimpy bikini. He glared at Sirius. "Don't wolf-whistle."

"But she's _hot!_ " Sirius complained.

"She's also a thousand years dead, sir," Seymour said politely. "And one of our most sacred figures. So I would ask you to rein in your lasciviousness until you are in private. I can give you pictures if you wish. In any case, Lady Yunalesca was the first Summoner to stop Sin and save Spira from its ravages. You inherited her name and her legacy, Lady Yuna."

"But Yuna has considerable better taste in clothes," Harry muttered in a stage whisper.

Wakka gasped, offended. But Seymour laughed, a genuine laugh at Harry's irreverence. Yuna tittered, despite herself. But she gathered herself. "It was my father who named me."

"It was because he was entrusting you with a vital task, to face Sin just as Lady Yunalesca did. But she did not face Sin alone. To defeat the invincible Sin, it took an unbreakable bond of love, one that bound two hearts for all eternity."

A man in robes, certainly more modest than anything Yunalesca wore, approached and embraced Yunalesca. "Who is that guy? Her husband?" Harry asked.

"Lord Zaon," Paine supplied, speaking up for the first time since the presentation began. "And yes."

"…She wasn't wearing much, even by Zanarkand standards," Tidus muttered.

Any retort Harry had was lost when Seymour approached Yuna and whispered into her ear. The recording ended, and Yuna, as the images faded, hurried over to get a glass of water. She was blushing furiously, and Harry glared at the Maester. "Y'know, it's not appropriate to ask someone for a good, hard shag after you've only known them for…what, a week at most? Unless they're up for it. Even if you are a Maester."

"What did you say that for, ya?!" Wakka yelped at Harry. He seemed torn between protecting Yuna, and berating Harry for his insolence. Seymour, however, was laughing, as was Sirius, Rikku, and even Auron (though he was chuckling quietly). Lulu was facepalming, Tromell was staring at Harry in mortification, Tidus was gaping, with his eyes flicking back and forth between Yuna, Seymour, and Harry, and Paine was rolling her eyes. Kimahri was his usual stoic self, though Harry thought he glimpsed what could have been a leonine smirk.

"It's not like that, Harry!" Yuna said, embarrassed. "He…he asked me to marry him."

Harry blinked, before he said to Seymour, "My earlier comment still stands."

Auron composed himself, and strode forward. "You know what Yuna must do, what lies at journey's end. Her death."

"Of course. Lady Yuna, and indeed, all Summoners are charged with bringing peace to Spira. But this means more than defeating Sin," Seymour said. "She must ease the suffering of all of Spira. She must be a leader of the people. I proposed to Lady Yuna as a Maester of Yevon."

"Spira's not a theatre, and the Pilgrimage is no farce. It may amuse the audience to do this, but it changes nothing."

"True, but the actors have their parts to play."

" _All the world's a stage_ ," Sirius quoted, " _and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts_ …" Upon noticing Harry's look, he said, "What, your mother had me read Shakespeare(2)."

"Well, in any case," Seymour said, his attention on Yuna once more, "think it over. Such a decision cannot be made lightly."

"We'll do so," Auron said.

Seymour smiled. "Then I await your reply, Lady Yuna. Favourable, or otherwise." Then, an unaccustomed frown came upon his face when he saw Auron. "Excuse me, Sir Auron, but why are you still here?" Upon Auron's bemused stare, Seymour said, "I apologise, I must be mistaken, but we are keen to the smell of the Farplane…"

* * *

They left soon thereafter, Harry taking note of what Seymour said. Auron noticed his scrutiny, but seemed to ignore it. They discussed the marriage for a time, with the party apparently divided over whether it would be any good. Yuna, however, said she would go to the Farplane, see her father, and think on this.

Harry had learned that Guadosalaam had an 'entrance' of sorts into the Farplane, where the spirits of the dead resided. You could go in there and see said spirits, though whether you could talk to them was another matter. Rikku and Auron refrained from going inside, and after some thought, Harry and Paine decided to opt out too. Harry had seen his parents at least thrice, two times in the Mirror of Erised, and another time when he was duelling Voldemort after the Tri-Wizard Tournament and their wands locked.

"So, why did Seymour want to see you guys?" Rikku asked.

"Paine had a friend at the manor, a guy called Baralai," Harry said. He glanced at Paine, who shrugged, as if not caring what he said. "He's taking refuge in there after Kinoc betrayed the Crimson Squad."

"The Kinoc I was friends with is all but dead," Auron said, bitterness tinging his tone. He then looked at Harry. "I can hazard a guess why he wanted to talk to you. You are something new to Spira. And you piqued his curiosity just before Operation Mi'ihen. I witnessed your conversation. Tidus said you and Black came from another world entirely."

"Yeah, one where magic is hidden."

"Hmm. Well, different perspectives are welcome. My goal is the same as you three's. But Yuna needs to see what lies at journey's end first."

"And what lies at journey's end?"

"Zanarkand. And the truth behind Tidus' existence." Auron looked towards the entrance to the Farplane.

"There's something to Sin continuing, isn't there?" Harry asked. "Something about the Final Aeon."

Auron looked at Harry. "And how do you come to that conclusion?"

"A sphere recording of Sin being defeated by Lord Braska. Plus, the fact it comes back, in spite of the Final Aeon."

Auron chuckled darkly. "Indeed. You are one of the few to even consider that."

Paine came forward, a frown on her face. "So Sin's recurrence and the Final Aeon are linked?"

"They are," Auron confirmed. "But you will see why at Zanarkand. Telling Yuna and the others now is pointless. Yuna, Wakka, and Lulu are still very much Yevonites to the core, though only Wakka would need to have the truth beaten into him. Yuna is good-natured and naïve, but she is also intelligent. Lulu is a cynic, and sees much that others wouldn't dare consider. The same can be said of Kimahri. It was he who I charged with looking after Yuna after Lord Braska died. Tidus might believe it, but he has a loose tongue."

* * *

Sometime later, Yuna and the others left, only for the shade of a Guado, identified by horrified onlookers as Jyscal, to try and follow them. "He does not belong here, Yuna. Send him," Auron said. He then collapsed, grunting in pain, with Harry and Rikku helping to support him…even as they noticed Pyreflies wafting from his form. Only they noticed, with everyone else's eyes on the shade of Jyscal.

Harry hissed quietly into Auron's ear, in Al Bhed, " _You're an Unsent too. Why shouldn't we have Yuna Send you?_ "

" _Because she needs me to show her what happens at journey's end. I made a promise to Braska and Jecht_ ," Auron hissed back. " _We'll talk later_."

After Jyscal was Sent again, Harry noticed Yuna picking something up. "I don't understand it. Wasn't Lord Jyscal Sent in the first place?"

"He was," Lulu said. "But strong emotions could have bound him to the world."

"That's against the rules, isn't it?" Rikku asked.

"True," Auron said. "It means Lord Jyscal died an unclean death."

Harry frowned at Auron's words. He found it laughable, considering that Auron himself was an Unsent. Even so, it sounded pretty damned ominous all the same…

 **CHAPTER 8 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, events in Guadosalaam, and Seymour taking an interest in Harry. Now, I've probably stretched credulity here by having Baralai end up in Guadosalaam so soon after Operation Mi'ihen. Just roll with it. Given that Baralai canonically ends up seeking sanctuary with Seymour as recorded in** ** _Final Fantasy X-2_** **, I thought I could just barely have Baralai in Seymour's manor during the events of** ** _Final Fantasy X_** **.**

 **1\. If you read between the lines in the game, it's not unreasonable to think that Seymour knows a lot more about Tidus than he lets on. He's certainly aware that Jecht is Sin, and according to canon sources, his parents (and more than likely himself) knew how the Final Aeon worked. It's a bit of a stretch, but I think he suspects something.**

 **2\. Sirius is, of course, quoting from the famous speech from** ** _As You Like It_** **.**


	10. Chapter 9: Thunderbolts and Lightning

**CHAPTER 9:**

 **THUNDERBOLTS AND LIGHTNING, VERY VERY FRIGHTENING ME!**

Harry was grateful for the Morpheus Charm and for the Levicorpus Charm. Without them, they probably would have had to deal with Rikku freaking out as they crossed the barren Thunder Plains. Even so, he asked whether they could rest briefly inside the Travel Agency at the halfway point. Auron reluctantly agreed, though Yuna seemed to want to deal with something as well. She got her own room, presumably to contemplate wedding Seymour. Then again, he remembered Yuna picking something up that looked like a recording sphere.

Harry used Finite Incantatem to remove the spells' effects from Rikku once they were inside. "Are we there yet?" she groaned.

"Halfway," Harry said, gently clutching her hand. "Don't worry, we'll soon be in Macalania Forest."

"We need to get there sooner," Rikku groaned. "Those spells are pretty handy. Though that sleeping spell seems like it could be abused."

"I wouldn't dare," Harry said.

"I know," Rikku said, smiling shakily, only to wail in fright when a massive crack of thunder roared overhead.

Harry sighed as he got to his feet. After the brouhaha with Jyscal being re-Sent, Yuna went to Seymour's mansion, and Tidus and himself headed to the exit of Guadosalaam (if only to see the Thunder Plains before they cross them), only to find an acolyte of Yevon known as Shelinda (who had met Yuna and the others before). She asked after Yuna, and told them Seymour had left for Macalania Temple, the temple he was high priest of, some time ago. Rikku consented to being knocked out for the duration of the crossing of the Thunder Plains. And Harry was on official carrying duty.

Now at the Travel Agency, as Rikku freaked out, Lulu came over, concerned, along with Tidus. "Why does it bother you so much, Rikku?"

"She got attacked by a marine Fiend while swimming," Harry said. "Her brother tried to hit it with a Thunder spell, and unfortunately, he missed."

"Oh. Oh dear," Lulu said, actually quite sympathetic.

"Ouch," Tidus muttered, even more overtly sympathetic.

"Even so, Thunder spells are effective against marine Fiends," Lulu said.

"That's what Brother said," Rikku murmured, slightly delirious with fear, and another clap of thunder making her shriek.

Soon, the familiar figure of Rin came through. Harry had met the man only a couple of times before, meeting him at Luca during the preparation for Yuna's abduction. The Al Bhed entrepreneur greeted them politely (despite a vicious glare from Wakka), only to frown when he saw Harry and Rikku. Harry shook his head slightly and tapped his lips.

Paine came forward, looking at Rin. "I have you to thank for helping my friends, am I right? Gippal and Baralai?"

"But of course, Miss…?"

"Paine. I am not a 'Miss'," she said, sternly.

"Indeed. Baralai, I sent on a fast chocobo to Guadosalaam, and Gippal I sent back to Home," Rin said.

"I met Baralai at Guadosalaam," Paine said. "And Gippal's all right? Thank you, Rin. What of Nooj?"

"The Deathseeker fled after shooting your friends," Rin said. "Most out of character for him. He is not one to betray friends, or be a coward."

"There are stranger and darker things in this world than the betrayal of a comrade," Auron remarked. "What did you see, Paine?"

"I don't know, but if it did possess Nooj, he wasn't its only victim," Paine said.

"What do you mean?" Wakka asked.

"I wasn't with Operation Mi'ihen," Paine said to Wakka. "Kinoc sent me in with others to investigate the Den of Woe. We were meant to be his private little army, the Crimson Squad. I see that little sceptical look in your eyes, Wakka. Kinoc tried to have me and my comrades killed too, and for all your hate for the Al Bhed and the Crusaders, you cannot say that we deserved that."

"Of course not! Kinoc's a bad apple, ya? Okay, I can accept that! But not all of Yevon is like that!" Wakka protested. "Anyway, what did you see?"

"My comrades becoming possessed by…something," Paine said. Her eyes flickered over to Tidus, and something flickered behind them. "It…wasn't unlike you, Tidus, now that I come to think of it. It was like you, only consumed by anger and hatred."

"Hey, hang a moment, are you saying I caused all that?!" Tidus snapped indignantly.

"Of course not, or I wouldn't have trusted you when you came up to us on the Moonflow," Paine retorted. "I said it was like you, not that it was you. I can tell the difference."

"I think I know a reason," Auron said. "What you sensed wasn't Tidus, but an echo of someone similar. Tidus doesn't have such feelings in such overwhelming quantities. Some sort of Unsent, I would venture, but capable of possessing others' bodies. It is rarer than a corporeal Unsent, but not unheard of. Do you remember anything else?"

Paine shook her head. "I should have asked Baralai."

"It wouldn't have been wise, in front of Seymour," Auron said. "Maesters tend to put their own agenda before that of the people they govern. And Wakka, I know this having been a Warrior Monk. Do you know why I ended up with Braska? He was the only one to treat with me after I refused the hand of a daughter of a prominent priest. I was _persona non grata_ at Bevelle because I refused a political marriage on principle, because I wanted to do my duty for the people of Spira. And because I saw what such a marriage did to my sister," he concluded, looking at Paine.

Harry looked at Lulu. "Speaking of political marriages, do you reckon Yuna will go through with it?"

"I don't know," Lulu said. "I would prefer she did so out of love. But given that she is a Summoner, with all that entails…"

"Yeah, with it being a suicide mission and all," Harry snarked. "That thing Jyscal dropped, though, I think it was a recording sphere. What'd be on it?"

"His last will and testament?" Wakka remarked with a shrug. "That was a pretty freaky thing to happen, ya?"

"In any case, I need to talk to Rikku and Harry in private," Auron said. "Rin, may I have a private room as well?"

"Of course, Sir Auron," Rin said with a bow.

* * *

As they were led in, and Auron shut the door, Harry erected a basic privacy ward, one he had learned from Sirius not long before. He then turned to Auron. "Why just us two?"

"Because you two know that I am an Unsent," Auron said. "You kept quiet about it earlier. And while Tidus does deserve to know, he's less than discreet, whereas you two…"

Rikku nodded. "Plus, you know I'm an Al Bhed."

"I do not hold that against you, or over you," Auron said. "Wakka is the only one in this group who doesn't know of your status, and he is, as you know, unkindly disposed towards the Al Bhed. The main question is, how can you trust me? The answer is, you don't know. However, I am willing to tell you some of the truth now, providing that it goes no further than Sirius or Paine. I am only telling you two for the moment because you saw what I've become. And I need you to keep it secret until we reach Zanarkand."

"Okay, so, what's the big secret?" Harry asked.

"You were right about the Final Aeon being a sham," Auron said. "It is merely a means of perpetuating Sin, and maintaining the spiral of death that is Spira. Yunalesca yet lives on in the ruins of Zanarkand, an Unsent herself. I know because I have met her. She was the one who killed me. I didn't die straight away. I made it back to the Calm Lands. I met Kimahri on Mount Gagazet on the way, and bade him to protect Yuna. I perished in the Calm Lands…but I survived as an Unsent. And for the past ten years, I have travelled to and fro from Spira to Zanarkand…Tidus' Zanarkand."

"What do you mean, Tidus' Zanarkand?" Rikku asked. "He came from a thousand years in the past, didn't he?"

"No. Zanarkand is both in ruins, and intact and thriving. To tell you why, I should tell you of how Zanarkand's greatest Summoner, Yu Yevon, created Sin."

Auron told them of how Yu Yevon, in his desperation to save Zanarkand from Bevelle and its machina weapons, turned the entire population of the city into Fayth, effectively turning him into a massive Summon known as Sin. Whether Yu Yevon intended for Sin to wreak havoc across Spira for centuries of vengeance for his people's suffering, or else got his humanity subsumed after a well-intentioned attempt at ensuring his city's immortality, Auron didn't know.

Yunalesca, however, began the Cycle of Sin, and helped found the Yevon religion, to keep up the hope of the people, despite Sin being everlasting. And with her husband transformed into the Final Aeon, she defeated Sin for the first time, albeit dying in the process. But she came back as an Unsent. And Zaon became the new Sin, possessed by the warped spirit of Yu Yevon, and his Aeon transformed into Yu Yevon's armour.

Zanarkand, however, remained in the dreams of the Fayth of Zanarkand. A perpetual dream, where people were born and would die in a perpetual golden age of the city. Jecht came from that dream, and so too did Tidus. Jecht came through into Spira apparently by accident, but through Jecht (who had become Braska's Final Aeon and thus the next Sin) and Auron, Tidus was brought here on purpose.

"So, what you're saying is that Tidus is a sort of solid, living dream?" Harry asked. "He didn't come from the past, but a dream of Zanarkand's past."

Auron nodded. "And I will remain in this world until I stop the Cycle of Sin. In a way, I am glad for your intervention, and that of your godfather's, Harry. You have even more of an outsider's perspective on Spira and its troubles than Tidus. Your friendship with the Al Bhed only confirms it."

"But why not stop the Pilgrimage now?" Rikku demanded. "Why not tell them now?"

"Tidus is impulsive and lacks discretion. And Yuna is the sort of person who wants to see the truth for herself," Auron said. "Wakka needs to have the truth thrown right into his face like a Blitzball, and Lulu would need some proof before she believes wholeheartedly. Kimahri would believe, but he is too reserved and too loyal to Yuna to do anything other than what she wishes. Your attempts to abduct her, while admirable, will only serve to strengthen her resolve. Few true Summoners would acquiesce to what the Al Bhed want, despite your good intentions. In any case, I think you did the right thing, telling Yuna to tell Tidus what awaits her at journey's end. Tidus was melancholy for a time, which is unlike him, but it made him ever more determined to protect Yuna."

"Even so, I don't like this deceit and manipulation," Harry said. "It's like something my old mentor would do."

"True. I don't like it any more than you do, and I intend to make sure you all stay alive," Auron said, standing. "But they _will_ know the truth." After a moment, he said, "That sphere Jyscal left behind…I think he recorded it before he died, but took it with him when he was Sent. I think he may very well have been murdered…by his own son."

Harry blinked. "Wait, what? Okay, he's a creepy guy, but…you really think he's a patricide?"

"I've heard rumours about his attitude towards life in Spira behind closed doors," Auron said. "He has become nihilistic, believing life to be meaningless and full of suffering. This is merely hearsay, and I don't know whether he is a patricide…but with the exception of Kelk Ronso, the Maesters have put their politics first and their people second. Even Jyscal Guado banished his son and wife to Baaj Temple in order to appease the Guado. Seymour may not be a patricide…or he may even be worse."

"What do you mean worse?"

"I don't know…but I suspect. If I am lucky, and wrong, then he may prove to be a valuable ally against Sin and Yunalesca. But if I am wrong…he may be one of our worst enemies."

"What about what Paine said? You know, about Tidus being like that thing she felt in the Den of Woe?" Rikku asked.

Auron shrugged. "I am only speculating…but Tidus comes from the Zanarkand of the Fayth's dreams. This other presence may be an Unsent from Zanarkand before its destruction, who may have been the model for Tidus in the dream Zanarkand…or even an ancestor. I certainly hear rumours about Bevelle's underbelly, and its darkest secrets. But I don't know anything concrete."

* * *

They had left (Tidus had apparently been caught by Wakka eavesdropping on Yuna and the sphere), with Harry once more carrying a sleeping Rikku. At the edge of Macalania Forest, Yuna had them stop, and wanted Harry to revive Rikku, as she had an important announcement. Once Rikku was awake, Yuna dropped the bombshell she was waiting to drop.

"I've decided to marry Seymour. For Spira's future, and Yevon's unity. I thought it would be the best thing to do."

This provoked pandemonium, with Wakka astonished that she had changed her mind, and Lulu and Tidus correctly guessing it had something to do with the sphere recording Jyscal left behind. Yuna refused to show them, citing a personal matter. However, she told them that she wasn't quitting the Pilgrimage.

Harry, however, noted something. He gestured for her to come over, and then whispered into her ear, "You have a crap poker face, you know that?"

"What's poker?" she asked.

"I mean you're a bad liar. And the others can see it too. Don't get in over your head. We're here to protect you, remember?"

Yuna peered at him, before nodding. Even so, Harry wondered, was Auron right? Was Seymour a patricide? And if so, what was Yuna thinking? All in all, things were looking dicey now…

 **CHAPTER 9 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Auron confessing his secrets to Harry and Rikku, with both of them learning the true nature of Sin and Spira. Hope you like. Oh, and Paine beginning to think there's a connection between Shuyin and Tidus.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	11. Chapter 10: Rikku and Harry

**CHAPTER 10:**

 **RIKKU AND HARRY**

They had stopped to rest partway through the Macalania Woods. They had briefly encountered Barthello, the Guardian of another Summoner by the name of Dona. Dona had apparently disappeared. Rikku, Harry, and Sirius were sure that the Al Bhed probably picked her up. Then, they had fought a battle against a Spherimorph, a massive, liquid blob formed from the substance sphere recordings were made of. Tidus then found a sphere recording by his father, and had watched, the others looking on.

Now, Harry and Rikku were alone with Yuna while the others rested elsewhere, Kimahri standing ever-vigilant against Fiends. As they sat together, Yuna said, "Tidus told me you came from another world entirely, one without Sin, and where magic is hidden, Harry."

Harry nodded, and looked at the beautiful and eerie forest around them. Wakka had been told that the reason why Harry wore Al Bhed goggles was that he had bought them from them, and Wakka grudgingly allowed that, as the goggles weren't machina, at least(1). "Yeah. Spira's very different from Earth. But there are some things that are the same, like people being crappy to other people, sometimes using religion as an excuse. Whenever they talk about sin, it's not with a big 's'. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of good people who follow religions in a good way. I've seen enough of those in Yevon. But, well, there's a saying back home. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. I'm frankly worried about this whole thing with Seymour. I mean, I don't know what to make of him. For a Maester, he's certainly very…odd. He doesn't seem to take offence easily. I don't know whether he is friend or foe, frankly. All I know is that he has an agenda of his own."

"And what's your agenda, Harry?"

"Stopping Sin. And preventing Summoners from throwing themselves into the grave," Harry said, frankly. He looked into her eyes, one green, the other blue, both gentle and demure, but with a hidden strength. "Yuna, I don't doubt your resolve and courage, and your desire to alleviate the suffering of the people of Spira. But promise me that, if we can find an alternative to the Final Aeon, we will try that first."

"If there _is_ an alternative," Yuna said. "You think like Tidus does, but your eyes…they're so old for one so young, Harry. Far older than I have seen in most people. Lulu is one of the few who had eyes as old as yours." After some time, she asked, "Do you still intend to abduct me?"

"Not yet," Rikku said. "Auron…has told us something. We'll take you to Zanarkand. There is something you need to see there. I don't like it, and apparently you need to see it for yourself, but what he told us…we're with you, Yunie, until the end. We'll protect you."

Yuna smiled, accepting what Rikku had told her. "Thank you. So, Rikku…what is Home like?"

"Like no place in Spira," Rikku said. "Oh, it's not much to look at from the outside, but, well, Home is Home. I hope one day you get to see it. My Dad…Cid…he feels that you have a home there as much as at Besaid, Yunie."

Yuna smiled again, but there was a sadness there, something that Harry and Rikku knew what it meant. She didn't think she would ever live to see Bikanel Island. After all, it wasn't part of the Pilgrimage…

* * *

Sirius and Paine scowled. As the others rested, they had been taken aside by Auron and told what Auron had told Harry and Rikku earlier. Paine closed her eyes and harrumphed, not unlike her uncle. "So that's what you meant. I don't like this. Frankly, I'm all for handing Yuna over to the Al Bhed. There's wanting to fight to save Spira, and then there's rushing headlong to commit suicide."

Sirius nodded. "I frankly agree. Harry's been like that before, being careless with his life, but not to the degree Yuna has it. Whereas you're asking us to trust you, and keep quiet until we reach Zanarkand. You're an Unsent, for crying out loud!"

"I am taking a risk informing you two. Do you think I chose to do this at all lightly? Withholding information from the ones I am charged with protecting?" Auron asked. "My intention is not to make Yuna a martyr. My intention is to turn her decisively from that path. And I know that if she learns it is futile to use the Final Aeon, then she will reject that path utterly."

"And Yunalesca would reveal all that?" Sirius asked.

"Yunalesca is an Unsent over a thousand years old. She is powerful, but her arrogance is even greater. Only if they hear it from her mouth will they realise the futility of the Final Summoning. I may be a Legendary Guardian, but my word may not be enough to sway even Yuna. She is like her father, headstrong and determined to do the right thing, even if it means her life is taken from her."

"But is there an alternative to beating Sin?" Paine asked.

"Possibly the Al Bhed. I have contacts with the Al Bhed," Auron said. "And Tidus told me about the airship they had managed to salvage. In any case, this version of Sin has a key weakness: Jecht. Jecht has become Sin, and some remnant of the man survives. He is rarely lucid, but it is better than prior Sins, who were about as lucid as Yu Yevon himself. I believe we can find more information during our travels. And I believe that the Fayth themselves will help us."

"We're gambling a lot on this," Paine said, folding her arms. "Do we have any chance of prevailing?"

"A small chance, but it is better than none," Auron said.

* * *

Sometime afterwards, Rikku and Harry were sitting on the branches of a tree near the camp. An old rhyme danced into Harry's head treacherously, about sitting in a tree and kissing. He smothered the urge swiftly.

"Harry," Rikku said, "just out of curiosity, did you have anyone back home?"

Harry was startled by the question. Eventually, he said, "Well, I had a crush on a girl called Cho Chang…but we had a bit of a falling out. I liked Hermione too. And Ron's little sister Ginny was kind of cute, but, well, she was Ron's little sister. If I dated her, he would have lost his nut. I guess there may have been other girls around. But how many saw me for me, and not the Boy Who Lived?"

"I dunno," Rikku said. "It's weird hearing you talk about this stuff. I dunno what was weirder, hearing Tidus claim he was from Zanarkand, or that you and Sirius came from another world entirely. I just wanted to know, that's all."

"I'm not sure if we can go back," Harry said. And it was perhaps at that point that the concept truly began to hit him. He may never go home again. Earth was behind a closed and locked and barricaded door, metaphorically speaking, shut forever. With that, he put his face in his hands, and began to weep quietly.

Rikku then put an arm around his shoulder. " _Hey, hey_ ," she whispered, quietly, in Al Bhed. " _I'm here, Harry. I'm your friend, aren't I?_ "

" _Yeah, I guess_ ," Harry said. " _I just miss my friends back home. I don't miss my family. My aunt and uncle and cousin would love to see the back of me. But my friends…_ "

" _Harry…I know. I've lost people too, and to death, rather than being in another world. My mother was killed by machina going rogue, and my aunt got killed by Sin. Friends and family both…but, we move on if we can. Because what's the point of giving up? People thing that because we Al Bhed use machina, we have an easy life. We don't. Yevon persecutes us, Sin has attacked us more often than anyone else, we have to live as nomads, or in the middle of the desert…and machina are full of their own dangers and difficulties. My father once said, 'Dying's easy, but living is hard'. And I get that. Especially with death all around us. The best thing to do is live in spite of it, tell death to piss off. That's one of the reasons we hate the Pilgrimage. Not because it brings peace to Spira, which is good, or that it vindicates Yevon, which is bad. No, we hate it because people seem to be throwing away their lives unnecessarily. What Auron told us only confirms it._ " Rikku shook her head. Harry was distracted briefly by how cute she looked, and that spiky ponytail she had with her blonde hair. " _Sorry, got off track._ "

" _That's okay. You were trying to comfort me._ "

" _Wasn't doing a very good job, was I?_ "

" _You've done better than some_ ," Harry said. As Rikku drew him closer, with a one-armed hug, he said, in English, "You know how many times I was hugged when I was a kid? Never by my aunt or uncle. I guess my parents did, but I don't remember that. I think the first hug I actually remember getting was from Hermione, just before I went to save the Philosopher's Stone. You'd like her, she always loved to learn."

"I'm sure I would," Rikku said. "But Harry…am I your friend?"

"Of course you are, what sort of stupid question is that?" Harry asked incredulously. "I'd even like to think that you're my best friend in this world. Haven't got many of those here. Sirius counts, and so does Tidus. And I like Yuna. Oh, and don't forget Brother and Cid."

Rikku nodded. "It's nice to know I'm at the top, at least on Spira."

"Well, you're pretty likeable, plus you're smart, and you can kick arse better than many wizards and witches I've known, all without a wand. Oh, and you're cute as well."

As soon as he said that, Harry regretted it. At least until she giggled, and nuzzled into him. "Just try to avoid making it obvious to Dad and Brother. We'll worry about being boyfriend and girlfriend until after this stuff is over."

Boyfriend and girlfriend? For the briefest of moments, Harry's mind rebelled against the idea. Then, he kissed her on the temple. "Yeah, we will."

* * *

They had found Tromell near the edge of the frozen Lake Macalania, who wished to help escort Yuna. He was going to send others to pick up the others, but then Brother of all people showed up, with a bunch of Al Bhed surrounding Yuna and Tromell on snowmobiles. " _Rikku! Harry! Sirius! Don't interfere!_ " Brother called from a ridge.

Thinking quickly, as Brother prepared to send a machina at them to subdue them, Harry looked at Auron, who was nearby. "Can we tell them?" he asked in a low whisper.

Auron looked at him, before nodding. Wakka, meanwhile, was peering at Rikku, Harry, and Sirius confused. "Hey, how does that guy up there know your names?"

"Never mind that for now," Harry said, before calling to Brother, " _Brother, we need to parley first! We have information, information that requires we stay on the Pilgrimage!_ "

Rikku nodded. " _We're coming up, Brother, call them off for the moment!_ "

Brother glared down at them, before signalling to the Al Bhed to back off. With that, the two of them climbed the rise, and Brother looked at them. " _What's so vital?_ " he asked.

" _Auron told us some vital intelligence_ ," Harry said. " _He's looking to dissuade Yuna through taking her to Zanarkand. This is what he told us_ …"

* * *

After a few minutes, Brother crossed his arms and frowned. " _This is what Auron told you? It's risky business, heading to Zanarkand to confront Yunalesca. We've almost got that airship ready now._ "

" _We'll make sure Yuna doesn't die_ ," Harry said. He looked down at the group. " _Though Wakka's not going to be pleased._ "

Brother snorted. " _He's a Yevonite moron. You still have your radios? If anything really bad happens, contact us at once! I'll go and tell Father about this. Are you sure you can trust Auron, though? He's an admitted Unsent._ "

" _He told us these things when he didn't have to_ ," Harry said. " _And they make sense. We'll keep an eye on him, but frankly, I think he's trustworthy, to a point at least. Seymour's another matter._ "

Brother nodded. He then called for the other Al Bhed to retreat, and then looked at them. " _See you later._ "

As Harry and Rikku scrambled down the slope to the others, Tromell took an opportunity to lead Yuna away. He looked at them both, and said, "You have my gratitude for resolving that, even if you are heathen."

As the elderly Guado and Yuna walked away, Wakka scowled at them both. "You're both Al Bhed?"

"I wasn't born one," Harry scowled back, "but I'm happy to be considered an honorary one."

Wakka looked at the rest of the group. "You knew?" he asked Tidus in an accusing tone. As Tidus nodded, Wakka whirled to face Lulu, who also nodded. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because we knew you'd be upset," Lulu said bluntly.

Wakka scoffed. "Oh, this is great. All this time, I've been travelling with Al Bhed, with heathens."

"Oh, shut up," Harry snapped at Wakka. The anger he felt at the Yevonites in charge of Operation Mi'ihen, as well as those trying to kill Paine, began to surge up. So too did his anger towards Dumbledore. And he also felt angry that Rikku was being maligned by this idiot with the stupid hairdo.

"Excuse me?" Wakka asked incredulously.

"You were fine with Rikku tagging along until now. What, so she's an Al Bhed, that makes her not even a person?"

"No, I…"

"Shut up, I'm not finished," Harry said, poking his finger into the chest of the Blitzball player. "You know what I hate about people like you? It's not because you're a follower of Yevon or anything. It's because you think there's no other way but your own! You think that machina is evil, and yet, you have that machina for Blitzball. What about medical machines, right? If Yevon prohibited them, but they could have saved one of your friend's life, what would you do? Yevon may call you a heretic for using that machina, but if you let a friend die because of that, then that just makes you a murderer by proxy."

"How dare you!" Wakka snapped.

"How dare I? Well, you're doing the same thing with the Summoners, aren't you? Chucking them away all so you can have a few years peace that always ends. Some things are inevitable, but a big fucking monster shouldn't be one of them!"

"Sin was born because we used machina!"

"Not in the way you think!" Harry snarled. "Sin is not a physical manifestation of your sins! It's just a huge monster. It can bleed, and it can die! Did you ever think about why it destroys machina? Did it ever occur to you that it might actually be _afraid_ of machina? Oh, wait, I forgot, you're actually **_allergic_** to thinking, you oversized musclebound _rooster!_ "

Harry, in retrospect, should have expected the punch Wakka threw. As he sprawled on the ice and snow, cradled by Rikku, Auron and Kimahri were holding back the enraged Blitzball player. "Al Bhed heathen son of a bitch!" Wakka spat.

"Better a heathen than a bigoted Yevonite idiot," Harry retorted, albeit weakly, given his spinning head. A Potion was gently pushed to his lips.

"Enough," Lulu said to Wakka, glaring at him. "As Harry said, you were more than happy to have them with us until you learned Rikku was an Al Bhed, and the others allied with them. We are all Guardians, and they managed to get those other Al Bhed off our back!"

"They're up to something, Lu!" Wakka protested.

"Wakka," Auron said, all-too-calmly. "They told that Al Bhed something of vital importance. And I allowed them to join us. Do you question my judgement?"

Wakka sagged, and then brushed Auron aside as the swordsman loosened his grip. He stalked off towards Macalania Temple, saying, sullenly, "I have to wonder, ya?"

Sirius then called out, "Wakka?" As the younger man turned, Sirius said, "That was my godson you just slugged. Do it again, and I'll repay it with interest."

Wakka emitted a bitter scoff, and resumed walking along the trail. Paine, meanwhile, was contemplating the snowmobiles. "As the Al Bhed were so kind to leave these here, shall we use them?"

"Wakka would object," Rikku said as she helped Harry to his feet.

"That's fine. I don't feel like walking," Auron said. He went over to Harry. "That was a dangerous thing to do, provoking him."

"He pissed me off. He insulted Rikku, and Rikku's done a lot more for me than he ever will," Harry said, the Potion clearing his head. "And he is an idiot."

"Maybe," Lulu said, walking over. "But we are Guardians together. Give Wakka time, he'll be fine."

Harry didn't think so, glaring at the back of the rooster-haired Blitzball player. But Lulu had a point. They were supposed to stick together to guard Yuna. Unfortunately, it looked like it'd be difficult for them to do so with Wakka now knowing who they really were…

 **CHAPTER 10 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Hope you enjoyed that. I did say earlier that I would be doing some Wakka bashing. If you don't like it, well, tough.**

 **Review-answering time!** **lokarryn** **: I hope to bring in the optional Aeons.**

 **SleepyMangaHead** **: Sadly, Seymour's going to end up following the same fate as in the game. I wrote him the way I did to make him a bit more complex than how he appears in the game, while trying to remain true to the character.**

 **1\. I forgot that Harry was wearing goggles for some time, so I wrote this in hurriedly to explain it. I think Wakka would grudgingly accept Al Bhed-made goggles as not being heretical.**


	12. Chapter 11: A Heart of Ice

**CHAPTER 11:**

 **A HEART OF ICE**

Once they arrived at Macalania Temple, they waited near the entrance for the stubborn Wakka. Harry passed the time getting a drink and a bag of snacks from a travelling merchant they had encountered before, O'aka XXIII. There was something about him that reminded Harry of Mundungus Fletcher. Though unlike 'Dung', O'aka had a more endearing and likeable quality to him.

Harry looked around. It was quite beautiful, he had to admit. For all of their faults, Yevon created some truly beautiful places. And it was the higher-ups of Yevon that he had issue with, not the rank and file. The priests and people who believed. Well, as long as they weren't Al Bhed haters. Lulu and Yuna believed, but they also welcomed Al Bhed. Yuna was half-Al Bhed, of course. And there was Kimahri.

Soon, the musclebound rooster came puffing his way up the twisting ice path to the temple. "Enjoy the exercise?" Lulu asked dryly.

"Gotta…gotta keep in shape, ya?" Wakka said, panting.

Harry rolled his eyes, before remarking, as a sort of backhanded compliment, "At least you're better than most Quidditch players."

"Quidditch? Is that some Al Bhed game?" Wakka asked suspiciously.

"No, you moron. Quidditch is a game played with flying magical broomsticks in mid-air. Imagine playing Blitzball in mid-air, while having a couple of big iron balls trying to knock you off your perch, and one of your team has to find a pissy little golden ball that flits about randomly. Back home, I was the one who had to find the golden ball."

Wakka blinked as he tried to process that. He then turned to Lulu. "Ummm…did I hit him too hard or something?"

Lulu laughed, despite her usual stoic demeanour. Tidus had told both Yuna and Lulu about Harry and Sirius coming from another world. She then made for the entrance to Macalania Temple, with the others following.

The guard glared at Rikku, Harry, and Sirius. "Tromell has vouched for you three," the guard said. "But make no mistake. You are here on sufferance, even if you are Lady Yuna's Guardians, and we will be watching you. Once Lady Yuna has finished her business, go, and do not come back."

"A rather cold welcome, don't you think?" Harry snarked. "Oh wait, we're on an ice lake…"

"Indeed," Auron said.

* * *

They encountered Shelinda again inside, who was enthusiastic about the upcoming marriage. Yuna had already entered the Cloister of Trials with Seymour. Shelinda was interrupted by someone calling out about a sphere in Yuna's belongings.

Yuna's Guardians promptly began watching it, and found it to be Jyscal Guado leaving a recording behind. Surprise, surprise, it was about Seymour. Apparently Jyscal considered him to be dangerous, and claimed he would be killed by his own son.

"Great, so he _is_ a patricide," Harry groaned.

"Will Yuna be all right?" Rikku asked.

"Without us, no," Auron said.

As he left, Wakka said, "Where're you going?"

"To make sure Seymour doesn't pull anything," Sirius said. "Or do you doubt Jyscal's words?"

"But he's a Maester!" Wakka protested.

"So was Kinoc," Paine said coldly.

As everyone but Wakka and Lulu left, Harry heard Lulu say, "Come on, Wakka. At the very least, we need to make sure Yuna is safe…"

* * *

They made their way through the Cloister of Trials, Tidus being loud, Wakka lamenting getting into this situation, and Harry considering things. As they reached the door to the Fayth antechamber, Harry said, "I'll go first. Let me do the talking."

"Why?" Sirius asked.

"Seymour seemed interested in me for some reason. I might be able to get through to him."

Harry stepped through, and found Seymour, flanked by a pair of Guado bodyguards, standing at the foot of stairs leading into the Chamber of the Fayth. As he did so, Seymour remarked, "So, you know."

"About what? You being a patricide? Yeah. I mean, we suspected it, but until we saw that sphere…" Harry shook his head. "I was hoping I was wrong about you. I hoped that you were just a bit weird, not another nutter. Please tell me that the only reason you killed your father was because he exiled you and treated you like crap."

"I could…but it would be a lie. It truly is a shame, you know. You are both interesting and amusing, Harry Potter, you and your godfather, along with Tidus. But sadly, you have come too late in more ways than one." There was…sadness? Regret? Yes, both of those things, and more. But Harry knew, even as the other Guardians gathered behind him, that Seymour was going to kill anyone in his way.

The door to the Chamber of the Fayth opened, and Yuna stumbled through. Harry realised that communing with the Fayth must be exhausting. But when she saw the others here, and looking ready to fight Seymour, she asked, "Why?"

"Like I said, you have a crap poker face. Plus, we saw the sphere," Harry said. He then looked at Seymour. "So, you're going to kill us?"

"Well, the exposure of my patricide is grounds enough," Seymour said. "As I said, it truly is a shame. But I cannot allow you to stand in the way of my plans. Yuna no doubt wanted to bring me to justice for my act, and you…well, the Code of the Guardian does state that one must protect the Summoner, even at the cost of one's life. If you're offering your lives, then I see no reason not to take them."

"Hey, hey, Maester Seymour, we need to stop this!" Wakka protested.

"Indeed. I intend to stop _you_. My apologies, Wakka, but neither you nor your comrades can be allowed to live," Seymour said.

Yuna rushed to her Guardians, and stood before them, her staff readied. "Maester Seymour, I trust my Guardians with my life, but they are also my friends. I will not stand idle and let them perish at your hands."

"Your eyes, they burn with such resolve," Seymour breathed with a bizarrely serene smile. "Truly beautiful…"

* * *

The battle raged on, with Seymour's bodyguard being paralysed with Harry and Sirius' Body-Binds. Seymour, however, had some sort of immunity. He then called upon his personal Aeon, Anima, whereupon Yuna countered with Shiva, a blue, scantily-clad woman who was the Aeon of Macalania. Anima, after a bitter struggle, was defeated, and Seymour faced them alone.

Soon, he fell but as he died, Harry and Yuna approached. "You two…you would feel pity even now?" Seymour asked.

Tromell then made an entrance, and refused to let Yuna Send Seymour. And when they caught up with him in the atrium of the temple, they realised that he was going to cover it up, telling the other Maesters a cover story. Rikku then said something about Jyscal's sphere, only for Tromell to hold it up.

"Do you mean this?" he asked mildly.

His fingers tensed, ready to break it, only for Sirius to yell "ACCIO, _SPHERE!_ " The sphere leapt from Tromell's hand, and into Sirius'. "Nice try, you old goat," Sirius growled.

"The Guado take care of Guado affairs," Tromell said serenely, despite being thwarted.

"Oh, and you're condoning a patricide," Paine sneered. "You decrepit old hypocrite."

"Lord Jyscal committed many wrongs in his office," Tromell said. He looked at the other Guado. "Detain the traitors."

"Away!" Kimahri roared, running, grabbing Yuna in the process.

"Run!" Auron concurred.

As they fled out the doors, Harry had his wand out, glaring at them, Rikku and Sirius flanking him. Tromell looked at them almost sadly. "You poor fools. Do you think it so easy to flee from us?"

"Do you feel like arguing with a carved stick that can register nine on the Richter Scale(1)?" Harry said, before pointing his wand at the ceiling. " _Bombarda!_ " The Blasting Spell smashed into the ceiling. Harry deliberately underpowered it, so that it would make a big bang, but cause little more than frost and chips of stone to fall. It worked, though, and Tromell and his minions flinched back, thinking the ceiling would collapse.

They fled down the ice path, with Harry halting only briefly to use a more higher-powered _Bombarda_ to destroy part of the path, and just in time too, for a pair of Guado had just emerged, ready to pursue them. As Harry caught up with the others, Rikku fumbled with her radio, and activated it. " _Brother? Are you still around? We need to get the hell out of here NOW!_ " After listening to the reply, she said, " _We've just had to kill Seymour, and we're currently running for our lives away from a bunch of pissed off Guado! We need extraction, and we need it now!_ " Another garbled reply. " _Look, I'm not making it up! Turns out Seymour was a patricidal prick. Will you be at the Lake?_ " Once she heard the reply, she nodded. " _Okay, we'll be there in twenty minutes._ "

They made it back to the snowmobiles. Harry, once he got onto a snowmobile, hugging Rikku from behind, looked at Wakka, who seemed torn between using a machina and dying at the hands of irate Guado, and snarled, "Swallow your fucking pride, Wakka, and get on!"

Wakka, deciding that having already helped kill Seymour, he might as well participate in a lesser heresy to save his skin, clambered on. "Just get going, ya?!"

As they sped off across the ice, Rikku said, as she drove the snowmobile, "The good news is, Brother's still in the area, he can pick us up. It means we can seek refuge at Bikanel Island."

"And the bad news?" Harry asked.

"We're gonna have to gun it," Rikku said. "I've never driven this fast on one of these things before, and we don't have helmets, so hang on!"

"Aw, crap…" Wakka groaned.

* * *

Across the frozen landscape of Macalania, they sped. Harry twisted around in his seat to find that Fiends, presumably summoned by the Guado, were hounding their steps. Yuna must have taken note, for soon, the avian form of Valefor appeared, and began swooping down at the Fiends. Harry and Sirius, on their respective snowmobiles, sent Bombarda attacks at the Fiends, while Lulu sent Fire spells.

Soon, they found Brother and the other Al Bhed, waiting near an icy shore, an Al Bhed ship anchored. They slid to a stop. Wakka looked rather green, and puked copiously onto the ground, before Paine, who had stopped her own snowmobile (with Kimahri and Auron as passengers), brought him upright. "Go!" she snapped, herding him to the Al Bhed boat. His protests were minimal as he clambered on board. Yuna, meanwhile, had changed Summons, conjuring the demonic Ifrit.

"Ifrit, please use Hellfire!"

" _Your will be done, Yuna_ ," Ifrit rumbled, before he unleashed a massive Fire attack. The pursuing Fiends were consumed by a massive inferno, while everyone scrambled onto the Al Bhed ship. The ship soon roared into life, and sped away, Yuna dismissing Ifrit as they did so.

Wakka collapsed onto the deck, groaning. "Oh, Yevon, what have we done?"

"Hey, if Seymour wasn't a bastard, we wouldn't have been forced to do that," Harry said, standing over the Blitzball player. "Anyway, I didn't like it any more than you did. Seymour set off my creep-o-meter, but he at least had a sense of humour. And his father was a bastard for sending him into exile. I mean, he became a Summoner and made it to Zanarkand when he was a kid! I honestly can't blame him for faltering! But he wanted to kill us. Are you saying we should have stood there and taken it? I mean, what's your loyalty to? Yuna? Spira? Or Yevon?"

"I dunno anymore, ya? Only being Yuna's Guardian seems certain," Wakka said, closing his eyes. And Harry, despite his earlier argument with him, felt a little sorry for him. He'd just had the foundation for his very life smashed out from under him, after all.

"I wished to try and convince Seymour to hand himself in for Yevon's judgement," Yuna said.

"Well, that worked out well. Did you seriously think you could make a patricide hand himself in with the power of love?" Paine asked.

"It doesn't seem worth it now, does it?" Yuna asked, a little morosely. "I should've told you what I was going to do."

"Dwelling in the past is futile," Auron interjected.

"Glad you're not a doctor," Harry snarked. "Your bedside manner is horrible."

"Do you want to waste time listening to Yuna's regrets?"

"Better hers than yours," Harry said, glaring at the Unsent warrior. "Or mine for that matter. She wouldn't have as long a list, for one. Anyway, we've got enough time until we hit Bikanel. Once there, then we'll figure out what to do, right?"

"The Pilgrimage will have to continue," Auron said. "If only to observe the forms."

"Isn't one of the Fayth in Bevelle?" Paine asked. "Bahamut's Fayth? Given that we killed Seymour, Yevon will throw everything they can at us if we tried to obtain Bahamut."

"If we must defy Yevon, we will," Auron said. "This is not about Yevon or the Temples. This is about Spira."

A wave of consternation swept over the group, even those in the know about Auron's true goals, and Wakka groaned. "How the hell are we gonna atone for all those sins we committed? I mean, it's not like I liked Maester Seymour, ya? And I won't forgive him for killing his father, and us. But us against Yevon?"

"We still have the sphere of Lord Jyscal," Sirius said grimly. "At the very least, it might buy us some grace. Set the Maesters arguing against each other."

"I doubt it," Auron said. "Some Maesters have done worse than patricide. But it still may be worth a shot, if only to buy us time to get Bahamut and flee Bevelle. However, in all likelihood, we will have to fight our way out."

Harry, after a moment, eventually said, "Auron, given the complete fuck-up this whole thing has become, I think it's time."

"Do you?" Auron asked.

"We're all risking our lives, and some of us are stumbling in the dark," Harry said, glaring at the crimson-clad swordsman. "I may not be, but many of us are."

"And if they can't or won't accept the truth?"

"That's their problem," Harry said, looking pointedly at Auron.

"Hey, whaddya talking about, ya?" Wakka asked, clambering to his feet shakily.

"We'll talk once we're at Bikanel," Auron said. But even that decisive announcement did little to dispel the pall that had settled over everything. They were, after all, now fugitives from Yevon, every last one of them. Which meant they were in very deep shit indeed.

And Harry knew that there was another problem. Seymour could still be alive, after all. They didn't manage to Send him, which meant he could come back as a Fiend, or an Unsent. So they probably hadn't seen the last of him…

 **CHAPTER 11 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **The first confrontation with Seymour, and Yuna's party having to flee Macalania, albeit in a different manner to canon. Saves having that weird bit with Sin somehow transporting them to Bikanel (how the fuck did that happen?)**

 **Review-answering time! I'm surprised at the amount of venom people hold for Wakka. While he deserves some bashing, I am keeping it fairly close to canon despite this, and I intend to keep him a relatively likeable character. Funnily enough, I got my copy of** ** _Final Fantasy X_** **signed by John DiMaggio a few years back. He was surprised anyone remembered him being in it.**

 **Anyway, first actual review answered is** **jgkitarel** **. Harry blowing up at Wakka is due to him having a lot of pent-up anger, as well as standing up for Rikku. Wakka has only grown up with the Yevon perspective, and to be fair to Wakka, he's not all that bright. Harry lacks some perspective, partly because most of his time has been spent with the Al Bhed.**

 **Mangahero18** **: I think Chappu's death only solidified Wakka's hate towards machina (and by extension, the Al Bhed), rather than forming it. The hairdo is ridiculous, though.**

 **Zane Tribal Tyne Alexandros** **: I've already answered him in correspondence, but Wakka isn't pulling a Ron because the motives are different.**

 **correnhimself316** **: We are not having Harry/Rikku/Paine. And I am NOT killing Wakka off.**

 **1\. This exchange is similar to one between Kane and Ace in the first episode of** ** _Doctor Who: Dragonfire_** **. Kane, when Ace is threatening to detonate a deodorant can filled with her homemade explosive Nitro-9, sneers, "** ** _You stupid girl. Think it's that easy to walk away from me?_** **" Ace retorts, "** ** _Do you feel like arguing with a can of deodorant that registers 9 on the Richter Scale?_** **"**


	13. Chapter 12: The Truth Will Out

**CHAPTER 12:**

 **THE TRUTH WILL OUT**

They spent much of the boat trip in silence. Well, save for Wakka moaning about their admittedly shitty situation (made all the worse by him being the most devout Yevonite on the ship), and Lulu's sharp comments towards the Blitzball player. Harry noticed that, despite her rebukes, Lulu cared for Wakka. Harry also noticed that Yuna and Tidus stayed relatively close. Harry certainly wasn't moving away from Rikku any time soon, his arm around her shoulder as they sat on the deck of the ship.

However, as they began to approach Bikanel, Wakka, who hadn't complained for a little while, peered at Harry and Rikku. After a while, Harry muttered, "What?"

"No, no, sorry…I was just thinkin'…you really like each other, ya?" Wakka shook his head. "But you and that Sirius guy…you act like Tidus. A lot different from a lot of people in Spira, ya? So, do you guys come from Zanarkand too?"

"Do you believe me now, Wakka?" Tidus asked.

"Right now, I dunno what to believe," Wakka said.

Harry looked at Rikku, before he said, "My godfather and I come from another world entirely, called Earth."

Lulu nodded. "Tidus told Yuna and I earlier, in private."

"But kept it from me, ya?" Wakka groaned. "Great, I'm kept in the dark about a lot of things."

"Would you have believed us?" Sirius asked.

"Right now. I dunno what to believe, as I said," Wakka said. "Then again, you did use those weird spells."

"On our world, magic is hidden. And technology, what you call machina, is everywhere. There's no monster called Sin. It's just an abstract concept. Of course, there's still a lot of wars. We were all but in the middle of one when we ended up in your world," Harry said. "A powerful evil wizard called Voldemort wanted me dead. I'm still not sure why, though I guess he wanted to finish what he started. He tried to kill me when I was only one year old." He brushed up his hair, revealing the now-fading scar. "That's how I got this."

"How did you get that?" Paine asked.

"An instant death curse was used on him," Sirius said. "His mother somehow used some sort of magical protection, but one that required her willing sacrifice to protect her son. That scar is all that's left of the rebound of the curse. As Yuna, Lulu, and Kimahri saw, it also had a fragment of Voldemort's soul within it."

"Like…like an Unsent?" Wakka asked.

"Maybe. Anyway, Harry became famous as the Boy Who Lived, because he was the only person to survive that curse. The people of Magical Britain began thinking of him as a messiah, rather like people think of Summoners here," Sirius concluded. "Even so, fame's rather fickle. When we ended up in your world, Harry was thought of as an attention-seeking brat because he dared to say that Voldemort had been revived. He's had a hard life, too. Thanks to a certain manipulative old goat, Harry stayed with abusive relatives for ten of his first eleven years, made to work as a servant to their family, and made to sleep in a cupboard under the stairs. The old goat made him stay at said relative's home each year after school, and while the cupboard wasn't used anymore, well…"

"This for real?" Wakka demanded, disbelieving. Not because he thought Harry a liar, that much was clear on his face, but because he didn't think people could be so cruel.

"Seymour's like me, in a way. His father exiled him to Baaj Temple, a decrepit shithole in the middle of nowhere," Harry said. "Frankly, I can understand why he killed his father. I'm more angry about the fact that he wanted to kill us, and marry Yuna. And seeing as Tromell didn't let us Send him…"

"In all likelihood, someone of Seymour's power and malice _will_ become an Unsent, and a powerful one at that," Auron said. "It's a matter of time rather than possibility. While not all Unsent are bound by malice, malice is a very strong anchor to the world. And you saw what Jyscal said in his sphere: Seymour's plans may involve the destruction of all of Spira and its people."

"Great. Is there a Maester who ain't a nutjob?" Wakka complained.

"Kelk Ronso is an honest man, and perhaps the sole one amongst the Maesters. And to be fair to Grand Maester Mika, he has no active malice. But he is guilty of allowing the Cycle of Sin to continue, even encouraging its perpetuation, as well as turning a blind eye to the activities and proclivities of other Maesters and Yevon officials, as long as they don't rock the boat," Auron said. As the ship came in to dock, he said, "We will discuss this further once we're at Home."

* * *

Of those present, only Wakka was reluctant to swear an oath of secrecy regarding the location of Home. Everyone else were more than willing. But Wakka eventually acceded. Yuna's Guardians, along with the Al Bhed upon the ship, were taken by hovercraft to Home. Even Wakka, though he scowled, was impressed by Home, and when he was led inside, he found himself losing that scowl, given the décor of Home.

They were eventually led to a conference room in Home, where the familiar (to Harry, Rikku, Sirius and Brother) form of Cid was waiting. " _Brother radioed ahead with the info you got from Auron. You sure it's legit?_ " he asked in Al Bhed.

" _Ask him yourself_ ," Rikku said.

"Are you Cid?" Yuna asked.

"Well, I sure ain't Grand Maester Mika," Cid scoffed. "You've grown, Yuna."

"Hey, what's he talking about?" Wakka asked.

"Cid is my uncle," Yuna admitted. On Wakka's astonished look, she clarified, "My mother was an Al Bhed, Wakka. She was Cid's sister. Which make Brother and Rikku my cousins."

Wakka gaped at her, rather stupidly, before slapping his forehead and groaning in a manner that could have been theatrical, had it been anyone else. On Wakka, it was just part of his larger-than-life personality. "Okay, what's one more surprise, ya?"

"Well, by the time we're done here, you'll probably be about ready to keel over," Sirius snarked.

"Not surprising," Cid remarked. "If what Brother told me is true, well, I damn near keeled over when I heard it! Not sure I want to let you guys keep going to Zanarkand, but, well, I wanna hear Auron say his piece first."

The red-clad Guardian peered at them from over his darkened glasses, before he sat down. "What I am about to tell you may be hard to believe. But I can assure you, it is true. I swear on my honour as a Guardian, both to Lord Braska, and Lady Yuna, as little as that may mean to some of you. Those who do know feel that I should be frank with you all, whereas I believed that in order to believe the truth, you needed to be confronted with what lies at journey's end, at Zanarkand, as I did when I was with Lord Braska. However, they have pointed out that by withholding this information, they think I am allowing you to stumble through the dark without aid or guidance, save for subtle manipulation."

"We will listen, Sir Auron," Lulu said. "That much I can promise you."

Yuna nodded. "I trust you."

Auron chuckled rather sardonically. "You may change your tune after what I have to tell…"

* * *

The following revelations, indeed, left everyone present, save those who knew of it, in a state of shock and varying states of disbelief. Kimahri seemed to accept the truth quite readily. Wakka, of course, was sceptical. Yuna was appalled at the senseless sacrifice of her father, and Lulu was pondering what had happened. Tidus, meanwhile, had become subdued about learning the true nature of his existence, and that of his father.

Lulu tapped the table pensively. "So, what you are saying is that the Final Aeon is a sham, designed to perpetuate Sin, and thus Yu Yevon? And Yunalesca is an accomplice in this…atrocity?"

"Yunalesca helped found the Yevon religion. To this day, as an Unsent, she makes the Summoners who reach her choose a Guardian to become the Final Aeon. Jecht is merely the latest victim of that system. To her, it is better to have hope of a better tomorrow in perpetuity, rather than have any definitive chance of destroying Sin for good. Or perhaps she thinks this just punishment for Zanarkand's destruction."

"But how can we trust you, ya?" Wakka asked. "You admitted that you were an Unsent yourself."

"You were willing to trust me because I was Sir Auron, legendary Guardian of Lord Braska, just as you were willing to trust Rikku on my word before you learned she was an Al Bhed. You trusted Maester Seymour until he turned out to be a patricide, and someone who was willing to kill you as well."

"And if he had his way, he wouldn't tell you until we were knocking on Yunalesca's door," Harry snarked.

"…Sir Auron?" Yuna asked. When he looked at her, she said, "I need to see for myself. It's not that I don't believe what you say, it's just…I need to hear it from Lady Yunalesca herself to be sure. If it does turn out to be true, that the Final Summoning is false hope in perpetuity…then I will avenge my father, and all of the Summoners who came before him. Then, we will work on finding a way to stop Sin forever."

"I thought so," Auron said.

Cid crossed his arms. "Well, I hope you're not gonna get any ideas of becoming a martyr again, missy! Saving Spira's one thing, but throwing your life away, especially on some fool's errand? I understand why you're doing it. Hell, you're like both of your parents, stubborn as hell and always putting other people ahead of themselves! But there's heroics, and there's suicide!"

"I will do what is best for the people of Spira, uncle," Yuna said, a determined look burning in her eyes. "Including the Al Bhed. If defeating Sin forever does require my life, then I will give it, but only once I am certain! I will not ask anyone to take my place, and I will not sacrifice myself on 'some fool's errand', as you say. I do not know what to believe at the moment, any more than Wakka or Lulu does, save for one thing: Sin must be stopped. Whether through the Final Summoning, or machina, or some other means we do not know, I cannot say. But Sin must be stopped for the sake of all of Spira."

"Well said," Auron remarked. He then looked at Yuna's Guardians. "And do you all pledge to stand by her, whatever path she walks down? Even if Yevon stands in our way?"

Surprisingly, it was Wakka who spoke first. "My oath to be a Guardian…it's to Yuna, ya? She's like a sister I never had. I dunno whether defeating Sin forever is possible, but if what you say is true, well…I'm not gonna like it, but she's right. It's for the sake of all Spira, ya?"

"Indeed," Lulu said. "We will have to consider our next move carefully, but the end goal is the same."

"Kimahri swear oath to protect Yuna, to the very end," Kimahri rumbled. "Kimahri not break oath now."

"If there's any chance of stopping Sin for good, then I'm in," Paine said.

"Me too," Sirius said.

"And us," Harry and Rikku chorused.

"Good. Then we are resolved to the same destination, then, if nothing else," Auron said. "Once we have stopped Sin, then you may Send me, Yuna. That is my solemn promise."

* * *

While Auron, Cid, Sirius and Yuna were discussing strategies later, Rikku and Harry went to have some alone time in one of Home's indoor gardens, doubling as a sort of park. "Neville would have loved this place," Harry murmured as they sat down at a bench. "He loved plants."

Rikku chuckled, leaning into him. Then, after a moment, she asked, "D'you think Tidus will be all right?"

Harry sighed. "I hope so. It's a lot to take in, to learn that you're really a living dream. He's a stranger to Spira, just as much as Sirius and I are."

"Yeah, but, well, the three of you are coping very well, I think. It's only been, what, a month? Only a bit longer? And yet, I feel like I've known you for longer, Harry."

"Oddly enough, I feel the same way."

"I think that's Spira, really. Because of the threat of Sin, people just tend to do things as soon as they can, because tomorrow may be their last day alive." Rikku looked up to the ceiling of the indoor garden. "…Harry, do you think we can stop Sin?"

"Well…I know what we're going to do before then. We're going to make sure that no Summoner throws their life away anymore. I reckon Auron is probably telling the truth, so we'll have to deal with Yunalesca. Then, after that, we'll find a way to stop Sin, forever. After that, well, who knows?"

"Well, I know one thing," Rikku giggled, leaning more onto him. "There's a certain boy I want to go out with."

Harry chuckled, and brought his arm around Rikku's shoulders even more. Yes, that was certainly something to look forward to…

 **CHAPTER 12 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Auron's revealed the truth, but has Harry done the right thing in pressuring Auron to do so?**

 **Anyway, two chapters at once! You guys are spoiled!**

 **No numbered annotations this time…**


	14. Chapter 13: A Familiar Face

**CHAPTER 13:**

 **A FAMILIAR FACE**

Later, Harry and Rikku made their way to the Summoners' Sanctuary, where the Summoners who had been brought to Home were present. As it turned out, the Al Bhed also had two other Summoners in their custody so far, ones that Harry and Rikku met later than Yuna's party. One was a dark-haired and dark-skinned woman with the attitude of Draco Malfoy, though she had at least the intelligence and power to back it up. This turned out to be Dona, the Summoner whom Barthello was supposed to be Guardian to. And for all of her arrogance, she also had a genuine desire to save Spira. The other one was a handsome young man with a gentle voice and demeanour, dressed in robes, known as Isaaru. He was accompanied by his Guardians, Maroda and Pacce, his younger brothers.

Yuna and Auron were speaking to them, Lulu and Kimahri looking on. Dona seemed sceptical, but in a way that suggested she was considering what she had been told. Isaaru looked devastated, as did his brothers. "…Final Aeon is a deathtrap, then what hope is there for Spira but false hope?" Isaaru demanded as Harry and Rikku approached.

"We're still working on that," Yuna admitted. "I asked Sir Auron to help me tell you of this, because the more allies we have, the better. At Djose Temple, you said that you wanted to race to defeat Sin. But if Yevon is hiding the truth from us, then we must do this for the sake of all Spira."

"Sin is a ridiculously powerful monster," Harry said as they approached. "But that's all it is: a monster. It's a living entity, not some embodiment of the sins of Spira. It may be targeting large populations or machina because somehow, they're threats."

Dona rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "A more logical supposition than most. But where can you find machina capable of destroying Sin?"

"It may be that Sin can only be crippled, not killed by machina," Auron said. "Anyone intending to destroy Sin may have to enter the beast itself, and destroy Braska's Final Aeon: Jecht. And along with him, Yu Yevon."

"A dangerous journey," Isaaru mused. "And almost certainly blasphemous and heretical." After a pause, he said, "Show me the proof at Zanarkand. Let me hear it from Lady Yunalesca herself. I'll gladly support your plan if the Final Aeon is a hollow hope."

"I am a little less sceptical, believe it or not," Dona said. "But if Lady Yunalesca is as powerful as you say, then you need all the help you can get. My only condition is that I have Barthello with me. An oaf he may be at times, but he is strong, competent and loyal to the very end."

"Finding him may be difficult," Auron said. "The last time we saw him, he was searching the area around Macalania."

"Then we'll go find him," Harry said. "When do we head for Bevelle?"

"Cid is preparing the airship the Al Bhed salvaged," Lulu said. "And he's also looking for a way to transmit Jyscal's sphere straight to Bevelle. If we're lucky, the Maesters may argue amongst themselves long enough for us to go there and leave. Or at least Grand Maester Mika may grant us leave long enough to obtain Bahamut."

"That's a long shot," Auron said. "But it's still worth trying. And with any luck, the discord we sow with Jyscal's sphere might give us enough time to go to Zanarkand and deal with Yunalesca." He then looked at Harry and Rikku. "Where's Tidus?"

"Probably somewhere quiet to think," Harry said as the door opened behind him. "You told him some pretty heavy stuff."

"You got that right," the voice of Tidus came from behind them. They turned to find the blonde-haired Blitzball player walking in. His eyes were bloodshot, perhaps from crying. "Sorry 'bout that, guys. I'm good now." He shook his head. "Even so, this makes too much sense. But I'm in this to the end. Like you said, Auron, this is my story. And I'm gonna see it through to the end. Besides, I've got a score to settle with my old man."

"Well, considering he's the host for Yu Yevon, we'll help you beat him up," Rikku said with a grin.

"Then we have the broad outlines of a plan," Auron said. "And people willing to carry it out. I suppose that is better than nothing. But it is a well-tested truism that no plan survives contact with the enemy. When the time is right, we'll release the contents of Jyscal's sphere and contact Mika. Then, we'll get Bahamut from Bevelle, and make our way to the Calm Lands."

"Sir Auron," Yuna said, walking over to the Unsent, "there is one thing I want to know. Seymour's Aeon Anima, would you know where it is?"

"No. But I suspect," Auron said. "I suspect Seymour took the Aeon back with him to Baaj Temple, where he had been exiled by Jyscal."

"Baaj?" Rikku asked. "Where we found Tidus, Harry, and Sirius?"

Harry nodded vigorously. "Seymour told me that when we met during the preparations for Operation Mi'ihen, that he took his mother's Fayth back to Baaj."

"You would seek Seymour's dark Aeon for your own?" Auron said to Yuna.

"Many of those you would have us fight are powerful," Yuna said. "And I would not think that Seymour's mother would condone what he has done."

"Then we will seek out Anima's Fayth after Bevelle. Once Cid has managed to get the airship ready, we will take it there."

* * *

Rikku and Harry had taken Tidus with them. They went back to the very garden they had sat in earlier. Tidus sat down with them on the bench. "You okay?" Harry asked.

"I found out that my Dad and I, along with the city I grew up in and its people, are figments of the imagination of the survivors of the real Zanarkand. Oh, and Sin is controlled by the last remnants of someone from Zanarkand." Tidus emitted a bitter chuckle. "I've been better."

"Better you learned this now," Harry said. "At least you've got time to be depressed for a bit."

"Spira's a pretty fucking depressing place," Tidus retorted. "Everything seems to revolve around death and lies. I actually confronted Auron on that after he told me the truth, and you know what he said?" He then gave a good imitation of Auron's gravelly quiet tone: " _Ah, the spiral of death. Summoners challenge the bringer of death, Sin, and die doing so. Guardians give their lives to protect their Summoner. The Fayth are the souls of the dead. And I would venture that Seymour won't be the only Unsent in Yevon's upper echelons. Spira is full of death. Only Sin is reborn, and then only to bring more death. It is a cycle of death, spiralling endlessly(_ _1)_."

"He's not wrong," Rikku said, resisting the urge to chuckle at Tidus' impression of Auron, given the seriousness of the speech. "But death is inevitable and everywhere. But we don't think Sin should be."

"You guys seem to be taking the fact that I'm a living dream pretty well."

"Auron told us back at the Thunder Plains," Rikku admitted. "The weird thing was, it made a lot of sense. I mean, coming from a sort of dream Zanarkand seems more likely than Sin causing you to time travel, unless you were in some sort of stasis for a thousand years. Anyway, you don't act any less like a person."

Harry nodded. "One of my best friends back home was half-Giant. Another was a werewolf. And another was a House Elf called Dobby…"

Suddenly, there was a loud _crack!_ , and the familiar form of Dobby was standing there in front of him. "You called, Harry Potter sir?" Then, the big-eyed, bat-eared Dobby did a double-take, along with Harry, Rikku, and Tidus. "HARRY POTTER SIR?!" he yelped.

"DOBBY?!" Harry yelped. He then surged forward, and all but squeezed the life out of the wizened little creature in a hug. Rikku and Tidus all but looked on, bemused.

* * *

After a brief reunion and an abridged introduction, Dobby got Harry up to speed on the events of the past couple of months. The Ministry of Magic had apparently acknowledged Voldemort's return, for Fudge and a group of Aurors saw him and Dumbledore fighting it out in the Ministry. Dumbledore had, apparently, been especially aggrieved with Fudge, as apparently Harry's loss had affected the Headmaster of Hogwarts deeply. Harry felt a perverse surge of happiness at this, given how the man had refused to give him a proper answer to anything. Knowing that Dumbledore actually grieved for him gave him some perverse joy.

Dobby then relayed that, mysteriously, about a week or so ago, Snape reported that Voldemort, while making plans to assassinate Dumbledore, had vanished screaming, emitting a single, sickly moving light, which Harry guessed was a Pyrefly. It seemed that the Sending that had banished the Horcrux in Harry's scar had also somehow killed Voldemort.

However, Magical Britain was in mourning for Harry Potter.

Eventually, Harry looked at Dobby. "Dobby, can you bring anyone back and forth between worlds?"

"Dobby thinks so," the House Elf mused. "Dobby can certainly brings messages for Harry Potter's friends. Maybe peoples."

"We'll deal with bringing people back and forth later," Harry said. "I'll go and write up a letter for you to take to Ron and Hermione. I'll go and tell Sirius about this. Come on!"

Sirius' eyes bugged out when he saw Dobby follow Harry, Tidus, and Rikku into the planning room where he had been discussing things with Cid, Wakka looking on. As Sirius stared, Wakka asked, "Who's that with the big ears and bug-eyes, ya?"

Harry was a little annoyed at how Wakka described Dobby, though it was ameliorated by the fact that Wakka had said ' _who's that_ ' rather than ' _what's that_ '. "This, Wakka, is Dobby. He's a House-Elf. Think of him as an indentured servant who, under normal circumstances, isn't paid. Dobby, the rooster in the yellow coveralls is Wakka." Over Wakka's spluttered indignant response, Harry continued, "And the bald guy with the beard is Cid. He's Rikku's father."

"Theys friends of Harry Potter?" Dobby asked.

"Well, Cid's a friend, and Wakka's better now that he's starting to get over his issues about the Al Bhed." Harry sat down at a table, where a computer was placed, and began typing.

"So, what is he?" Wakka asked. "Whaddya mean, indentured servant?"

"Exactly that," Sirius said. "House Elves form a bond based on symbiosis, gaining their magic in exchange for servitude, or else they die. But too many wizards forget that, or else abuse them anyway. Dobby used to belong to a rather nasty piece of work by the name of Lucius Malfoy who did that to him. Dobby was unusual for House Elves in that he desired freedom. He now works for Hogwarts, albeit for pay. Most House Elves are friendly, but…well, the last House Elf of my family is a twisted and bitter little son of a bitch."

Rikku squatted down next to Dobby. "Why would anyone want to abuse this cute little guy?" she asked, eliciting a smile from Dobby.

"Because they could," Sirius said. "I…messed up with Kreacher, but he hated me as much as I hated him. His loyalty first and foremost was to my mother and my brother. And they were nasty pieces of work. My mother detested anything to do with those without magic, and Muggleborn mages. But Kreacher was abnormal for House Elves. Most are, as I said, friendly and deferential. To anyone who treats them normally, they're easy to like."

"Well, we don't need House Elves, even if we wanted them," Cid remarked. "We have machina."

Wakka rolled his eyes at that, but remained silent. For a few minutes, Rikku and Tidus chatted to Dobby, while Harry typed up his letter. Then, he printed two copies out, and handed it to Dobby. "Dobby, these copies are to go to Ron and Hermione. If Dumbledore asks anything, just say, ' _We're still alive, no thanks to you_ '. Oh, and tell him that the Horcrux is out of my scar. He should know what that means."

Dobby nodded vigorously. "Yes, Harry Potter, sir!"

Before Dobby left, Sirius said, "Dobby…when you come back, can you bring back Moony? I mean, Remus?"

"Dobby will try to bring back Wolfie and his Dora Tonks girlfriend," Dobby said.

As Dobby disappeared, Sirius blinked. "Wait, what? Moony and Tonks…together?"

Harry shrugged. "Why not? A better question is, why bring Remus here?"

"Harry, we're going up against a corrupt religion and a genocidal hellbeast the size of a city. Moony's the one I trust most to have my back," Sirius said.

Harry nodded. He just had to hope that they weren't bringing Remus and Tonks into a worse situation than they did at home…

 **CHAPTER 13 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **What a twist! No, seriously, I wasn't planning for this at all. I was trying to write this chapter, and as I began listing Harry's friends who weren't fully human, it just occurred to me to bring Dobby across dimensions. I'm wondering whether I should do it for** ** _Ghost of Dalmasca_** **or** ** _Xenophilia_** **. Probably not the former, but maybe the latter (EDIT: I eventually did it for** ** _Xenophilia_** **, as some of you may know). Anyway, this will bring in a lot more into the story. I wasn't intending to bring in any more Potterverse elements, but this very well may turn out to be a great idea. Either that, or my shark-jumping moment.**

 **On another Harry Potter/** ** _Final Fantasy_** **-related note, by the time this chapter gets posted, my very first fanfic,** ** _Harry Potter and the Cetra Heritage_** **, has gotten 100K views! Doubtless it'll get surpassed by** ** _Observations of a Wannabe Kunoichi_** **before long, but hey.**

 **Review-answering time!** **plums** **: Sadly, you're not going to get your wish, not in that regard at least. My current intentions are for Harry and Yuna to be abducted, though that may change.**

 **1\. This is a slightly different version of Auron's little speech while he and Tidus are in the cages at Bevelle.**


	15. Chapter 14: Those Left Behind

**CHAPTER 14:**

 **THOSE LEFT BEHIND**

Hermione Granger stared at the printed letter in sheer disbelief. Only the fact that Dobby would never play such a cruel prank was the only thing keeping her from dismissing it completely. That, and the fact that there'd be few Death Eaters, if any at all, who would use computer-printed paper for a letter. Then again, with Voldemort considered dead (a number of Death Eaters leaking the news to _The Daily Prophet_ so that they could get back to their lives), the Death Eaters were leaderless, and many of them had slunk back into the shadows cast by the light of Magical Britain. Only a few openly stayed as Voldemort's followers, like Bellatrix Lestrange, who was still running about.

She read the letter again, as if daring it to stuff up, prove itself false.

* * *

 _Dear Ron and Hermione,_

 _Look, I know you guys are going to find this hard to believe, but Padfoot and I, we're still alive. No thanks to Dumbledore and his obsession with hoarding information. Dobby told me that Voldemort's gone bye-bye. I know how that happened, and if Dumbledore asks how, tell him that the Horcrux got exorcised. And take pictures. I think that news will make him shit his robes._

* * *

As it happened, it nearly did, when Molly brought the letter in Ron's hands to the attention of Dumbledore. The only thing that prevented him from Obliviating everyone who had read it was the fact that, with Voldemort gone, it was a moot point.

* * *

 _Anyway, long story short, we're both in another world. And while it's got a genocidal hellbeast hanging over everyone's heads, it's a damn sight better than Magical Britain has been lately. I'll be honest with you guys, if I'm able to come back with Dobby, I won't be staying. Anyway, I can't come back, not yet. Remember how you said I've got a 'saving people thing', Hermione? Well, you got that right. There's a land to save from that hellbeast I mentioned. I'll send pictures next time of the people we've met._

 _There's so many things to talk about, and so little time. Later, I'll send another letter, hopefully with photos. Talk to you later. Say hello to the rest of the DA for me, and tell them, I'm sorry for making them worry._

 _Harry Potter_

* * *

Dumbledore used a spell on the letter, and frowned. "It is indeed his magical signature. And written under no duress. Harry is, indeed, alive. And on another world. Which I must confess, I wasn't expecting," he said to Molly and Arthur, with Ron, Ginny, and the twins looking on. "The Veil is said to lead to the realm of the dead."

"And this Horcrux thing?" Molly asked.

Dumbledore decided to tell a half-truth. "A foul piece of the darkest magic in Harry's scar. I feared that I would never be able to remove it without killing him." And to be perfectly honest, Dumbledore was actually relieved. He had spent the last month or so berating himself for his failures where Harry was concerned. Self-reproach had been hitting him hard for some time. Only now did he have any small relief from it, tempered as it was by the restrained anger in the letter.

How did Harry know it was a Horcrux? Dumbledore suspected Sirius might have suspected what it was. Dumbledore sighed quietly. Still, if they were on another world, then Sirius was beyond the reach, theoretically, of the Aurors.

"This has to be kept quiet," Dumbledore decided. "Beyond the Order and Harry's friends, we cannot tell anyone."

"Why?" Ginny demanded indignantly, a sentiment echoed on their faces.

"Eyewitnesses saw Harry and Sirius fall through the Veil," Dumbledore said. "The Unspeakables have already said they had no chance to survive. If they suddenly turn out to be alive, what will happen to Harry and Sirius? Some may claim that they used some dark means to survive, perhaps becoming revenants of some kind. Others will demand, upon hearing that he's back, that he be brought back to this world, whereas he clearly wishes to stay on this other world. It is partly my fault he is on this other world in the first place, and he knows it. It may be best if he stays there. After all, there, he has no expectations save for those he brings upon himself. There, he isn't the Boy Who Lived. And to be fair, he will be safer from the Death Eaters there than he will be at the Dursleys."

"But this monster he writes about…" Molly protested.

"Yes, Molly. But he is choosing to face it. Whereas Voldemort…he couldn't choose to face Voldemort. Their fates were intertwined. Voldemort would have hounded him to the ends of the Earth. I will contact Miss Granger, along with Remus and the rest of the Order."

"Umm, Professor Dumbledore," Ron said. "Dobby said he was going to take Lupin and Tonks over to this other world."

Dumbledore paled, before he said the only thing he could say under the circumstances.

"Oh dear Merlin."

* * *

Transdimensional travel was far from easy or pleasant, Remus Lupin reflected as he emptied his stomach onto the floor of the technology-filled room. Tonks was pale, her hair long, wavy, and coloured vomit green.

"Wow, Moony," Sirius chuckled. "I haven't seen you chunder so much since Prongs' stag night."

"Dobby fix that," Dobby said, vanishing the vomit.

"Hey, where'd you send that stuff to?" a bald-headed man with a beard, dressed in coveralls and with goggles hanging around his neck demanded.

"Dobby not know. Is it important?"

* * *

In Zanarkand, Lady Yunalesca was having a wonderful time, strutting around in nothing but a thong, being undead and beautiful. So when she felt something very heavy and wet hit her with a very loud splat, she found herself frozen in shock, save for her hand wiping the detritus from her eyes. After a moment of realisation, a scream of disgust and fury echoed through the ruins of the Zanarkand stadium in which she had made her lair. Whoever did this disgusting deed to her august personage, she would make them pay dearly for their insolence…

* * *

"Nah, I just hope it's some Yevonite who deserves it," the bearded man said with a shrug. Dobby nodded, before leaving.

Harry came forward, and hugged Remus. "Harry," Remus breathed in relief.

"So, you're the werewolf guy?" said a teenaged girl with blonde hair and green eyes. To Remus' astonishment, her pupils were spiral-shaped.

"Are you going to hold that against me?" Remus asked.

"Hey, as long as you're kept somewhere away from us when you're transformed, I don't care," the bald man said. "Sirius here has nothing but good things to say about you. Who's the lady?"

"A distant cousin," Sirius said, with a smirk. "Dora 'Don't Call Me Nymphadora' Tonks."

"You…when my stomach settles, I'm going to hex you into next week, Sirius!" Tonks groaned.

"She's a Metamorphagus," Sirius explained. "She can change the look of her body to resemble just about anyone."

"Hey, do me," the blonde girl said with a grin.

Tonks, after a moment, peered at the girl, before her body changed. She now looked like the girl, albeit dressed in now-baggy robes. "How's this?" she asked in the girl's voice.

"Wow, that's spooky," a muscled man with a rooster-like quiff of red hair said. "It'd be weird to do guys, ya?"

"Yeah, to be frank," Tonks said, changing back to her habitual face, with bubblegum pink hair in a punkish style. "Bits going away, other bits growing…and you are?"

"That's Wakka," Harry said. "You were just imitating Rikku. That guy's her father, Cid." The bald man nodded. "And that guy with the blonde hair is Tidus."

"Hey," Tidus said with a wave.

Remus stared at the people, before saying, "Harry, Padfoot…what the hell did you get yourself into now?!"

"Better sit down. Even abridging it is going to take a while…" Sirius said.

* * *

Yuna, Lulu, Kimahri, and Auron were walking through the corridors of Home, looking to talk to Cid about their next move, when they found, in the same room, a pair of newcomers talking to Harry and the others. One was a man of indeterminate age, though he looked prematurely aged, with greying hair, scars, and rather shabby robes. The other was a young woman with pink hair and a style that was pretty daring. Her clothes had a certain sense of non-conformity to them. As Yuna and her Guardians entered, Harry looked up. "Hey, great timing! Remus, Tonks, these are some of the people we were talking about. The girl in the priestess-like getup is Yuna, the woman in black is Lulu, the tall lion guy is Kimahri Ronso, and the happy fellow in red is Auron. Everyone, these two are from my world: Remus Lupin and Tonks. Just Tonks. She hates her first name."

"It's Nymphadora," Sirius said in a stage whisper, only to yelp when Tonks sent a spell his way.

"It's a lovely name," Yuna said sincerely.

"Try living with it," Tonks said with a scowl. "So, you're the girl who's supposed to save the world from this massive monster called Sin?" When Yuna nodded hesitantly, Tonk scoffed, not in disdain, but disbelief. "Damn, not even Harry here got that much expectation dumped on him. At least the Dark Wanker was human…well, more or less."

Yuna gasped, scandalised, while Tidus seemed to be struggling not to laugh. "The Dark…Wanker?" Lulu asked, confused.

"Voldemort," Harry explained. "Frequently called the Dark Lord by his followers, You Know Who or He Who Must Not Be Named by most others. Calling him the Dark Wanker must run in the white sheep of the Black family." He then looked at Tidus. "Are you okay, Tidus?"

"I'm…fine. I was just imagining what would happen if you called Seymour a wanker to his face," Tidus said, trying and failing to keep a smile from his face.

* * *

In his ship on the shores of Bikanel Island, ready to have his forces retrieve Yuna by force, the Unsent Guado Maester in question sneezed twice, and then frowned. "That is most odd," he murmured. "I thought the Unsent couldn't get colds…"

* * *

Of those present, Lulu, Wakka, Yuna and the new arrivals weren't laughing or smiling. Yuna was more scandalised by the use of the crude word, Lulu seemed exasperated, and Wakka seemed appalled, despite the fact that Seymour had tried to kill them. Even Auron was chuckling softly. But then, his expression became serious. "You two, Lupin and Tonks…are you willing to aid Yuna during her quest?"

The two nodded. "I've been on leave from the Aurors not long after Harry and Sirius…well, disappeared. We thought he died," Tonks said. "I'm going to make sure he doesn't."

Suddenly, there was a series of explosions, rocking the building. Cid pulled a radio from his coveralls, and barked demands to someone in Al Bhed, only for his eyes to widen in shock. After a moment, he barked instructions, and then returned the radio to his coveralls. " _Cred! Fa'ana ihtan yddylg!_ " he yelled at Rikku and Harry. " _Dra Guado yna yddylgehk eh vunla! Drao'ja ihmaycrat Fiends!_ "

"Sorry, what?" Lupin demanded, his eyes wide. "Are we under attack?!"

"The Guado are attacking, using Fiends!" Auron translated. "Yevon's made its move! Cid, can we evacuate?"

"The _Fahrenheit_ is ready, barring final checks!" Cid replied. "I guess they're a moot point now. Brother's there in the hangar. Everyone, get going!"

* * *

As they moved through the corridors, Paine, the other Summoners, and their Guardians having been fetched, they heard the PA system of Home spring into life. " _This is Maester Seymour Guado of Yevon. I will give you one chance to come out of this with your lives intact. Surrender Lady Yuna to me immediately._ "

"He's hacked into the system," Cid scowled.

"I should go. I'm not worth the lives of your people, Cid!" Yuna protested.

"He'll kill everyone anyway," Auron said. "The moment he has you, he will do it. The lives of the Al Bhed mean nothing to him."

"It seems you were right," Paine said, glaring at the corridors ahead. "He came back as an Unsent."

"I hate being right," Auron said.

" _You have twenty minutes to comply. After that point, I will order the Guado under my command to unleash Fiends against you. Please make a wise decision._ "

"He's not bluffing!" Wakka yelped.

"He's also going to go back on his word!" Rikku retorted as Yuna tripped, and she and Harry stayed to help her up. "We have to get to the _Fahrenheit!_ "

Suddenly, a massive explosion occurred in the corridor, sending rubble tumbling down, separating Rikku, Harry, and Yuna from the others, knocking the three of them out in the process. A squad of Guado swarmed in, and looked at the three unconscious teenagers. "Take them to Maester Seymour!" the leader snapped.

By the time the wreckage was blasted apart by Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Tonks, it was too late. The Guado had bolted with their prisoners in tow, leaving behind some Fiends to delay pursuit…

* * *

Harry's eyes flickered open, a moan of pain coming from his lips, only to find a most unwelcome face looking down at him. "Seymour…" he muttered, realising that they were in a stateroom on a ship of some kind. "Rumours of your death were clearly exaggerated."

"Well, you could say that. But I have to say that death is a very liberating experience." Seymour looked at Rikku and Yuna on either side of Harry, only now stirring. "One which, soon, I am sure you will be able to enjoy for yourself…"

 **CHAPTER 14 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **And here we go. Shit's just gotten real. Harry's going to have to wait to summon up Dobby, though, just in case he gets Dobby in the firing line. So it looks like the wedding in Bevelle will go ahead…but with some pretty big changes to the denouement.**

 **BTW, feel free to look at the latest chapters for** ** _Vincit Qui Patitur_** **, my pure** ** _Final Fantasy X_** **fanfic with a heroic Seymour.**

 **Review-answering time!** **Mangahero18** **: Yeah, but Harry feels an obligation to help the people of Spira now. And this time, he's doing it more of his own choice, rather than through Voldemort being prophecy-obsessed and Dumbledore's manipulations.**

 **AresLaw** **: …Yeah, that's pretty fucking creepy, you know that? Even if it's a joke.**

 **Knightowl 4183** **: Maybe you should make a challenge out of that. It doesn't interest me, but it's sure to interest someone, as it's an intriguing start-off point, the concept of Tidus being a Summoner in Dream Zanarkand. It'd certainly be interesting as a culture clash between Tidus' mindset, and the semi-suicidal mindset of the Spira Summoners.**

 **Fireofargentis** **: We'll deal with Hedwig later. And I intend to end this story once it reaches the end of** ** _Final Fantasy X_** **. I may write a sequel, but I'm snowed under with stories.**

 **No numbered annotations this chapter.**


	16. Chapter 15: Bevelle

**CHAPTER 15:**

 **BEVELLE**

Harry kept himself between Seymour and the two girls. Not that either of them needed protecting per se, but he felt better keeping himself between them and Seymour. "Why do you want Yunie?" Rikku asked.

"I love her," Seymour said bluntly, causing Yuna's mismatched eyes to widen in shock.

"You mean you're obsessed with her, infatuated with her," Harry retorted.

"As I believe some of the populace of Spira say, 'tomayto, tomahto'," Seymour said serenely.

"Yeah, but you're an Unsent for one thing, and I'm sure that Yuna isn't into necrophilia. For another, you're a Maester, with that whole abuse of power thing. And you're a patricide," Harry pointed out. "Don't get me wrong, your father was an arsehole, but you didn't need to try and kill us when we found out. I thought there was something creepy about you, but I hoped it was just my being paranoid."

"My apologies," Seymour said almost sincerely.

"I think we have gone beyond the point of apologies, Maester Seymour," Yuna observed in a way that could have been considered dry had it not been for the seriousness of her tone. "Take us back to Bikanel at once."

"There'll be nothing to go back to," Seymour said. "The Fiends are currently wreaking havoc on Home. Yevon thinks that it is about time that the Al Bhed learned the price of their folly. And I am but a humble servant of Yevon."

"And I'm Lady Yunalesca," Harry snarked. "I'm an undead woman who looks literally drop-dead gorgeous in a bloody thong!"

Seymour actually laughed at that. "Your insolence is amusing, Harry Potter. Though I am curious…how is it that you know about Yunalesca being Unsent…unless Sir Auron knew. He did, after all, finish the Pilgrimage with Lord Braska and Sir Jecht. What is more, I find it amusing that you find my status as an Unsent repulsive, when Sir Auron himself may be one." Noticing their lack of surprise, he raised an eyebrow. "So, you know already."

"You sound disappointed," Rikku said cheerfully.

"You would trust him, despite him being an Unsent?" Seymour asked.

"He told us of what lies at journey's end," Yuna said. "Of Yunalesca, and the lie of the Final Aeon. Of Yu Yevon and his wrath."

"Ah, so he has told you," Seymour said.

"You knew," Harry said. Then, he realised something. "You went to Zanarkand during your own Pilgrimage. You've met Yunalesca."

"Of course. I learned about Yu Yevon from the documents of my father. He sent me to die, knowing it would buy Spira only time, never true hope. Hope is as much an illusion as freedom. The hope of Spira is eternal, but insubstantial, based on lies."

"It doesn't mean we can't find a new hope!" Yuna said. "I undertook the Pilgrimage to bring hope to Spira, not a false one, but to bring about a Calm so that, eventually, Sin would trouble Spira no more! Hearing that it is merely the armour of something that was once a man merely strengthens my resolve. I will stop the false cycle of hope. I want to ensure that all the people of Spira will be able to sleep in their beds without fear of Sin!"

"Oh, that resolve again, burning in your eyes," Seymour hissed. "Truly exquisite. But founded on a false premise. Spira is without true hope, now and forever. You will stand by my side as I show you this. And before you raise any objections, need I remind you that you are currently my prisoners. All I have to do is gesture, and loyal soldiers will come in. And as an Unsent, I am far more durable than I ever was, so trying anything is not advisable."

"And how will the public react to an Unsent Maester?" Harry asked.

Seymour tittered. "Let me tell you a secret: Grand Maester Mika is Unsent as well. He would cover that up."

"And your being a patricide? He'd be getting nervous if he knew, maybe thinking you have your eyes on his job," Harry said. "You are a Summoner, after all, you know how to Send people. You killed your father, what's to stop you from Sending him?"

"Well, as I cannot Send him without Sending myself, your theory is meaningless, but amusing." However, Harry could see that he had rattled Seymour a little. You could see a faint ember of annoyance in his violet eyes.

"Why did you take us, then?" Rikku asked.

"Yuna was who I came for. You are a useful hostage, Rikku, should Cid survive the assault on Home," Seymour said. "That you and Harry fell into my lap was serendipitous. Harry intrigues me. I wish to accompany Yuna for the remainder of her Pilgrimage to Zanarkand, as her husband. There, I will have her turn me into her Final Aeon. No need to sacrifice one of your beloved Guardians."

Yuna's eyes widened. "But…if you do…you are…you intend to become Sin!"

"Of course."

After a moment, Rikku said, quietly, "You're insane, you know? Just putting it out there. I mean, you're completely and utterly _vilgehk_ insane."

"Am I? And before you get any qualms about it, Lady Yuna, should you refuse, the lives of these two are forfeit, starting with Harry. Intriguing though he is, he has a flux of the mouth that is beginning to irritate me. And while Rikku has uses as a hostage, it only goes so far."

After a moment, Yuna said, "I accept. But on two conditions, completely non-negotiable. The first is that, in exchange for my cooperation, my Guardians and associates will be pardoned for any crimes against Yevon."

"And the second?" Seymour asked. Harry didn't think he would honour that first condition, though Harry knew Seymour would agree, and promptly cast it aside when he got what he wanted.

"That I be allowed to pray to the Fayth of Bahamut _before_ the wedding," Yuna said.

Now Harry realised that this was probably a condition Seymour would accede to. He had nothing to lose by doing so. And Harry realised that Yuna had thought quickly, and was trying to buy time for something. After some time, Seymour said, "Very well. I will accede to these conditions. Now, if you'll excuse me…"

As he left, Harry discreetly cast a translation charm on Yuna (having learned it from Sirius earlier), before speaking quietly in Al Bhed to her, " _That's a good idea to buy time. You know he's not going to pardon us?_ "

" _I hoped he might, but the second one was what I wanted to deal with. Can you summon up Dobby to help us?_ "

Harry's eyes widened. Yuna seemed to have a plan. " _Well, yes. Why?_ "

" _Once I am finished in the Chamber of Fayth, we call him up and get him to take us to the others. That way, we can get Bahamut, and then get away from Bevelle_."

" _We'll need to let the others know_ ," Rikku said softly. " _But that's a brilliant plan, Yunie!_ "

Harry nodded. " _Just hope it works, I don't want Dobby to get hurt rescuing us, any more than the others._ "

" _Neither do I_ ," Yuna said. After a time, she said, " _Seymour knows about Yunalesca, and the truth about the Final Aeon. He also knows about Yu Yevon._ "

" _He also said Mika is an Unsent_ ," Harry pointed out. " _There's something rotten in the state of Yevon. I mean, we pretty much knew that, but even so…_ "

" _Listen_ ," Rikku said, " _I'm gonna start crying and bawling. While you pretend to comfort me, start talking. They didn't take my radio. I don't think Seymour or the Guado actually recognised it for what it is. I'll speak in Al Bhed, make it sound like I'm lamenting something in it._ "

" _All right_ ," Harry said.

* * *

Thankfully, Rikku managed to get her message across. As it was, Cid and the others had just destroyed Home to get rid of the Fiends, having evacuated the Al Bhed. The _Fahrenheit_ had been about to head to Bevelle when they got Rikku's message, and Cid had agreed to wait for Dobby to bring them back. None of Yuna's Guardians or Harry's friends got hurt, though many Al Bhed didn't survive the Fiend attacks.

Soon, they were at Bevelle. They were escorted out. Harry had to admit, Bevelle was a beautiful city, large, elegant, and practically a work of art. Shame it was the heart of darkness for Spira. That, and the ruins of Zanarkand.

"I used to live here," Yuna said quietly as they were escorted through the streets, and to the main temple. "My father wanted me sent to Besaid once he stopped Sin. I think it was to get away from the fame and expectations a little. Kimahri took me from here. In order to show he meant me no harm, he showed me spheres from my father, and from Sir Auron. It was…scary, going with Kimahri on that night."

"That's why I was left at the Dursleys," Harry said. "Dumbledore wanted to shield me from my fame. Oh, and to be protected from Voldemort and the Death Eaters. But not from the Dursleys. At least you had Lulu and Wakka. Until I was eleven, I didn't have anyone."

* * *

They were led through into Bevelle Temple, where Yuna, Harry, Rikku and Seymour, along with a small escort of guards from Bevelle's Warrior Monks, made their way through the Cloister of Trials. As they did so, Rikku murmured, "Aren't these machina?"

"I can see the curiosity and cupidity of the Al Bhed aroused in you, Rikku," Seymour remarked. "Most wouldn't recognise these as machina, of course. Or else they will ignore it, thinking this to be some other contrivance, or else that this is one of the few machina not proscribed by Yevon. I won't argue with you about the hypocrisy. I recognise it. I even find it amusing."

They spent the rest of their journey through the Cloister of Trials in relative silence. Then, they reached the Chamber of the Fayth. As Yuna went inside, Seymour followed, and then, rather confidently, beckoned for Rikku and Harry to follow. "I will be enough to handle these three," he said to the guards, before they went inside.

Harry thought it a strangely beautiful chamber. In the centre of the floor, covered by glass or something similar, was what looked like a statue. There seemed to be a human torso, an arm ending in a massive clawed hand, a draconic head, and a massive wing. The inhuman elements had a metallic look to them. Fascinated despite himself, as Yuna began to pray, Harry asked Seymour quietly, "That's a Fayth?"

"Indeed. The soul of a person, imprisoned forever in stone by the ancient rites of Yevon. Through communion, that soul grants the Summoner an Aeon. And you may find this interesting. Look, the Fayth appears."

And indeed, it was. _He_ was. Harry all but gaped when he saw what looked like the transparent figure of a young boy, dressed in shorts and a hooded shirt, with a distinctive golden circular symbol on his back, like a wheel. "He's a child," Harry hissed in horror.

"And yet, Bahamut is one of the most powerful Aeons."

"That's not what I meant," Harry said with a scowl. "Did he willingly become this, knowing he would spend eternity like this?"

"I _can_ hear you, you know," the spectre of the boy remarked, his child's voice nonetheless having a strangely and disturbingly mature edge to it. "So you're the one who fell through the gap between worlds. We Fayth all felt it. And I didn't know at the time. But my decision was a willing one. Please, be quiet while we commune."

It felt like an eternity, though Harry's watch showed that it was closer to fifteen, maybe twenty minutes. Then, finally, the Fayth faded in a flare of light, and Yuna sagged, exhausted. Harry and Rikku went over to her, supporting her. "Yunie…" Rikku said quietly.

"We'll be leaving now," Seymour said.

Harry grinned. "Took the words out of my mouth. DOBBY!"

With a crack, Dobby appeared. Seymour was flung against the wall. The House-Elf rushed over to Harry, Rikku, and Yuna. "Holds on!" Dobby yelped.

Just before they vanished, Seymour was staring at them, his expression part-fury, and part-admiration. "You clever…" he began, just before Dobby took them away.

* * *

They ended up in the cargo area of the _Fahrenheit_. Harry had been here before while helping the Al Bhed clean it out, shortly before they went to Luca. Yuna's Guardians, along with Remus, Sirius, and Tonks, were waiting, along with the other Summoners. "Harry!" Sirius yelled, rushing forward and hugging his godson.

"So, the plan worked," Auron said.

Rikku nodded. "Yep. Yunie even managed to get Bahamut to boot."

"Dona and I already have Bahamut," Isaaru remarked. "Which means that we can make our way to Zanarkand before long."

"There are other Aeons we can obtain," Auron said. "Anima's Fayth is held on Baaj. From what I know, the Magus Sisters and Yojimbo have Fayths adjacent to the Calm Lands. The more we have, the better our chance to defeat Yunalesca."

"Very well," Yuna said, getting to her feet. "Isaaru, Dona, remember that from now on, Yevon will be ranged against us."

"I got that impression when they attacked Home," Dona remarked dryly. "In any case, one thing we can agree on is the destruction of Sin."

"Then that is what we'll do," Harry said. Of course, he reflected to himself, it was easier said than done…

 **CHAPTER 15 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Sorry about the wait. I just didn't know what to do with Yuna, Harry, and Rikku being in Seymour's captivity. It'll be a more quiet chapter, next chapter, which will probably be one released for the July update, if I don't write any more than that.**

 **Review-answering time!** **EzraSmanlovesHalo** **:** ** _No_** **. I've played part of it, but I find the characters, with the exception of Sazh and (to a degree, though I find her annoying) Vanille, to be utterly unlikeable. Lightning's a cold-hearted bitch, Hope's a whiny little bitch, and Snow is a complete fucking idiot. Anyway, I would prefer to have played the game through to the end before I write any fanfic related to it.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	17. Chapter 16: Breathing Space

**CHAPTER 16:**

 **BREATHING SPACE**

Harry stood in awe in the bridge area of the _Fahrenheit_. This was certainly more high-tech than anything he knew on Earth. Holograms, sleek lines, and the like, with a massive window showing the clouds rushing by. Brother sat in the pilot's seat, his eyes flickering between readouts. " _Enjoying yourself there, Brother?_ " Rikku asked.

" _This is amazing!_ " Brother exclaimed. " _I never dreamed flying'd be like this!_ "

" _Try it on a broomstick sometime_ ," Harry said. " _One of these days, I'm going to introduce Quidditch to you guys. It'd make a nice change from Blitzball. I'd have to get Dobby to get brooms and the balls, though._ "

" _So, this is an airship?_ " Yuna asked in wonder, the translation charm still in effect. She had come to the bridge to talk to Cid, and had now come down to where Brother was seated.

" _Yeah, the_ Fahrenheit." Brother had gotten used to Yuna speaking Al Bhed, after his original astonishment and excitement. " _There's nothing like it left running in the world, unless we can salvage another one. We've found records of another one called the_ Celsius, _but we can't exactly salvage it at the moment, not with Home destroyed and Yevon snapping at our heels. By the way, Rikku, Gippal's on board. He's been talking with Paine._ "

Rikku smiled in relief. " _Good, he's okay. I should introduce you to him, Yunie. You too, Harry. He's good people._ "

" _Isn't it a bit odd to introduce your boyfriend to your ex?_ " Harry asked. He laughed when she saw Rikku blushing. Yuna giggled as well.

" _Boyfriend, huh?_ " Brother asked. " _So you two actually admitted it to each other?_ "

" _Yeah, at Macalania_ ," Rikku admitted.

" _Damn. Now I owe Father a hundred Gil._ " He looked at Rikku and Harry. " _Don't look surprised, Father noticed you two were getting close. He didn't say much because he likes you, Harry, and he could tell that Harry cared for you. Plus, he didn't see you crossing the line. Just save anything beyond kissing for after we deal with Sin._ "

" _Got it_ ," Harry said. He had dodged a serious bullet there, he thought.

* * *

Cid had gone to an operations room after talking to Yuna, and Harry and Rikku had gone to see him, while Yuna spoke with Tidus. "Brother told us about the bet, Dad," Rikku said. "Apparently you won because we admitted we wanted to be boyfriend and girlfriend in Macalania."

The gruff leader of the Al Bhed nodded, chuckling. "I thought you two would at least before we got Yuna back to Home. I ain't blind or stupid. I know young love, and I know it when it's got legs. Like it'll go somewhere. And I like to think I got a good measure of people." Cid then walked over to them. "But I also know what it's like, what with teenage hormones and the shadow of Sin hanging overhead. I'll be damned if I let you two go too fast because of that. I've seen too many relationships fall apart because they married in haste, and repented at leisure. That's what I thought happened with my sister and Braska, even if they weren't lovesick teens. I was wrong. I ain't often wrong. I want you two to take it slow. You can kiss and hug, but you ain't gonna be taking it beyond that any time soon, and certainly not with Sin still around. I know we're gonna beat that ugly fucking thing. But if you do anything to hurt my daughter, Harry, I will feed you to one of those sandworm Fiends we have back on Bikanel."

Harry nodded mutely. It seemed like the safest thing to do, under the circumstances. As Cid nodded in satisfaction, and went over to a map, he asked, "Are we heading to Baaj?"

"Yeah. We can use the Sphere Stations to transport back and forth from the airship to the ground," Cid said. "But we're not just doing that. Auron still reckons we can muddy the waters, transmit that sphere Jyscal made across Spira, and particularly to Bevelle. We'll try to expose him as an Unsent, too."

"I don't think that's going to work, Dad," Rikku said. "I mean, exposing Seymour as an Unsent, you know. Apparently Mika is one too. And it'll be Seymour's word against ours. At least the sphere we had is some small proof that Seymour murdered his father, or at least can't be trusted."

Cid nodded. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised that Mika is an Unsent. Gippal's working on the transmitters while he talks to that Paine girl."

"What about Yunie's Guardians? None of them were any trouble?"

"Nah, not even that Wakka guy. Though he made some stupid remark after we blew up Home saying that it was like fireworks. I think he was trying to cheer us up in his way. He was certainly worried about you three. I guess there's hope for that Yevonite idiot yet. Auron also reckons that enough of Jecht still exists in Sin to influence it, and Auron thinks he can lure Sin to the right place by having a bunch of people sing the Hymn of the Fayth. Apparently Jecht loved that song. It might even make Sin docile enough for us to attack it. We're still preparing the weapon systems of the airship, though. We really only got the flight systems fully checked out when the Guado attacked."

* * *

Rikku decided to take Harry along to see Gippal in one of the maintenance rooms. He turned out to be maybe a little older than them both, a bit of a hunk, with the typical blonde hair of the Al Bhed. He wore an eyepatch over his right eye, something Rikku told Harry was the result of an accident involving a rogue robot machina. He had a cocky, devil may care attitude, and spoke with a lazy, casual drawl. As he worked on some machinery with Paine looking on, her arms crossed, he said, "…bit worrying. I'm lucky to be alive, considering Nooj shot me in the chest. But Auron reckons it's some sort of Unsent that drove Nooj?"

"Yes. Considering he is one himself, he probably knows what he's talking about. And it's unlike Nooj to do something like this," Paine said. "He's called the Deathseeker. He wouldn't shoot his comrades, as far as I know. A few I've talked to, like Rin, think he might have snapped. I reckon he snapped long ago, and we only started putting him back together as his comrades."

"Well, Dr P, you could be right," Gippal remarked.

"Dr P?" Rikku giggled, eliciting a glare from Paine. Gippal, however, looked over at Rikku, and then stood up, a broad grin on his face.

"Hey, Rikku! And you must be Harry! Paine's been telling me about you," Gippal said.

"All good, I hope," Harry said. Gippal, despite his cockiness, seemed at least likeable.

"Yeah. Listen, I'd shake your hand, but…" He waved it at them, showing the grease smeared all over it. "And Cid'll want this done as soon as possible, so let's talk while I work, okay?"

As he bent down to work on the machinery again, Harry said, "Was Paine discussing what happened in the Den of Woe?"

"Yeah. I'm glad Baralai's all right, though given the shit that went down with Seymour, I hope he's gotten the hell out of Guadosalaam. As for Nooj, well, who knows where the hell he went? My guess is that he went to that Lucan tart, Leblanc."

"Leblanc?" Rikku asked.

"She's a gang leader in Luca, a rather flamboyant one," Paine explained. "They met not long ago, and Leblanc's infatuated with him. Leblanc is mostly a standover merchant and a dealer in stolen goods, and lately, she's been eyeing old spheres. That being said, she's known for taking in strays into her organisation, people Yevon have treated badly, or people whose families were wiped out by Sin, according to Nooj. I only met her once."

"Once is enough exposure to 'the Great Leblanc'," Gippal remarked. "Even so, if Nooj was possessed, can we stop it from happening again?"

"Buggered if I know," Harry said.

* * *

After some small talk with Gippal, Harry and Rikku made their excuses and left, only to all but bump into Remus and Tonks. "Wotcher, Harry, Rikku," Tonks said with a grin. "Glad you and Yuna are back safe and sound. Remus and Sirius were having kittens."

"Hey, so were you, Dora," Remus said.

"And that girl Yuna's Guardians. Even that Auron guy," Tonks said, ignoring Remus. "And this thing…wow. I mean, I've been on planes, but this airship thing is brilliant. I'm sure even a lot of Purebloods would love travelling on this thing." After a moment, she said, quietly, "This is a screwed-up world, isn't it? While we were waiting for you to come back after we heard from Rikku, Sirius filled us in a bit more on Spira, what we didn't hear before the Guado attacked."

"We may not have had Sin or Yevon, Tonks, but we still had Voldemort and his followers," Harry said.

"True," Remus said. "Harry…are you ever going to come back home?"

Harry considered that for a moment, before he said, "Not for good. I mean, I'd come back to say hello to my friends and all, but I sort of resigned myself to being stuck on Spira. And to be honest, I prefer it here. Here, I'm not the Boy Who Lived. Okay, if we defeat Sin, we'll be famous, and while I won't like the fame, at least it'll be for something I did. And I'm still annoyed at Dumbledore. I'm not sure I can talk to him without it devolving into a screaming match. He kept leaving me with the Dursleys, he didn't even try to get me out of the Tournament, he kept me in the dark over the _Prophet_ 's smear campaign…it's going to be a long time before I forgive him."

"I understand," Remus said. "But…when you and Sirius fell through the Veil…you should have seen his face. The grief and sorrow and self-reproach. Dumbledore's a good man in the end. I just think what happened might have been the wake-up call he needed."

"That thing, that prophecy," Harry said. "What was it about? That thing Voldemort wanted so badly? Did Dumbledore even bother to tell you?"

"Not until after we saw you two go through the Veil. I told Sirius earlier. I did hear of the prophecy before that, but not the details. Supposedly, the prophecy, made by Trelawney, stated that the one to vanquish Voldemort would be born at the end of July in 1980, to parents who had defied Voldemort three times. Snape overheard it, and told it to Voldemort, only to realise that it meant you and your parents. Believe it or not, Harry, he was once friends with your mother, good friends."

"I saw Snape's memory," Harry said with a scowl. "Of the time he called her a Mudblood."

"I remember that day," Remus said. "That was the day Lily's friendship with Snape died. In a way, I wish it hadn't, as Snape might have stayed off the dark path he went onto."

"But that means he was the one who had Voldemort coming after my parents! After me!" Harry snarled.

"He didn't want your mother to die, and Voldemort, supposedly, promised to spare her. Snape was unconvinced, and decided to become Dumbledore's agent within the Death Eaters, in exchange for a promise of her safety. Don't get me wrong, I think Snape was selfish to say the least. Lily was the only one he cared about. That's one of the reasons he hated you, because you were a reminder she married his most hated rival. Dumbledore only told us this because Voldemort is dead. I damn near hexed Snape into oblivion when I heard that. Anyway, the prophecy could have meant either you or Neville, as he shared the same circumstances. Snape only heard part of the prophecy. The rest stated that Voldemort would mark you as his equal, but you would have power he knew not, something Dumbledore thought was love. The rest is a moot point, though. It claimed that one must kill the other, for neither can live while the other survived, and Voldemort got Sent."

"…I'm not sure I can forgive either of them. I might forgive Dumbledore, but Snape…" Harry shook his head. "Sorry, Remus. I need to cool off for a bit." He walked away, Rikku in tow.

* * *

Rikku led Harry to a storeroom which was empty, of people at least. " _You wanna talk?_ " Rikku asked in Al Bhed.

" _No, I just…I'm so angry at them. Dumbledore and Snape, I mean. I think talking about it to you is going to make it worse_ ," Harry said quietly, tears running down his face.

Rikku stepped forward, and gently embraced him, allowing him to weep quietly into her shoulder, running her fingers soothingly through his hair. " _It's okay, Harry. I'm here for you, you know? We all are. You don't have to go back there if you don't want to_ ," she said softly. " _Quite frankly, if we do go back, I'm definitely kicking Snape in the nuts. Assuming he has any. And I'll steal everything he's got on him. Dumbledore…I'm gonna slap. Whether I do anything else, well_ …"

" _You don't have to._ "

" _I_ _ **want**_ _to. Harry…we're a team, aren't we?_ "

"… _Yes._ "

She smiled as he straightened up. " _Come on. I heard Rin's on the ship, he might have something interesting amongst the wares he has left_ …"

 **CHAPTER 16 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Another interval chapter. Hope you liked it.**

 **You'll notice that I brought in Gippal into this story, and also alluded to Leblanc. It's annoying how these characters in the sequel pop up without so much as a by-your-leave, so I thought I'd give a bit of background to Leblanc. I had it in mind that the Leblanc Syndicate has existed for a little while, since perhaps a year before the events of** ** _Final Fantasy X_** **, but it was more of a small-scale criminal gang before it turned to sphere-hunting in earnest. I also got an idea that Paine and the others had met Leblanc before, albeit in passing, while Nooj was visiting Leblanc. Leblanc probably forgot about Paine, and Paine simply didn't mention knowing Leblanc (let's face it, she was less than forthcoming about anything about her past in the game).**

 **Review-answering time!** **Alex2909** **: Well, in that chapter, it was more Yuna.**

 **Proponent of EVO** **: Yuna's a very passive character, even in** ** _X-2_** **. I wanted to give her more chances to shine. It can't be Harry being awesome all the time, and Yuna needs more awesome.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	18. Chapter 17: Anima, Angst and Animosity

**CHAPTER 17:**

 **ANIMA, ANGST AND ANIMOSITY**

At first, it seemed like they wouldn't be able to enter the Chamber of the Fayth, given the strange locks on it. However, Remus, Sirius, and Tonks managed to undo those locks and wards, and they soon gained entrance. Even Wakka didn't protest at the non-Summoners entering. He knew that they had been declared heretics, apostates, and was aware that at journey's end lied a dark secret. They all did, now.

"Will she ally herself with us?" Isaaru asked.

"That is up to her," Auron said as they surrounded the Fayth, with Isaaru, Dona, and Yuna standing in directly front of the door. "But I would imagine that Anima's Fayth does not want this, any more than we do."

The three Summoners looked at each other, nodded, and then knelt, praying. After a few minutes, a ghostly figure appeared of a dark-haired woman in an elegant dress. It was hard to make the link between her, and the grotesque form of Anima, which Harry had witnessed during the fight against Seymour in Macalania Temple. But the beautiful woman clearly had some of Seymour's features, particularly the elegant face. Her dark eyes danced with sadness. After a time, she remarked, her eloquent voice echoing and flanging strangely, "Three Summoners, and none of them my child. Please, rise."

As they did so, Dona frowned. "So, you're Seymour's mother?"

"Indeed. I recognise one of you, at least. I am linked to the Aeon whose Fayth I am, Lady Yuna. I am sorry to be wielded against you."

"I'm fine," Yuna said quietly.

"And yet, you seek my aid?" Anima asked. "Even though you doubtless hate my son?"

"I pity him, more than I hate him," Yuna said quietly. "I seek means merely to stop him, and the ravages of Sin."

"We know of his story," Harry said. "About how Jyscal exiled the pair of you to Baaj, how you became an Aeon at Zanarkand. He told me that much himself, even if he didn't let on how much he was…twisted and abhorrent. You were dying, weren't you?"

Anima nodded. "You are the one he was intrigued with, along with Lady Yuna. The animosity he has with you all is his own doing…but I share part of the blame for allowing him to become what he was." She conjured up an image of a young Seymour, a boy of perhaps ten at most, sobbing quietly nearby. "Born of Guado and human, and yet belonging in neither world," Anima said. "Such isolation brought him the pain of loneliness, even before our exile. Part of the reason I became a Fayth was to give him the strength to live by himself, perhaps even give him the courage to ease the suffering of Spira by destroying Sin. Perhaps I even thought that my love for him would overcome the Final Aeon's tendency to kill its Summoner. Alas, I miscalculated, badly. The loss of me, combined with a taste for power, led him to thirst for more. He began to sink into nihilism, determined to seek power to end the suffering of Spira, through leading it and its people into oblivion. These thoughts eventually led him to a decision: he would become Sin. Become a messiah, through genocide, sending everyone to their deaths."

"…That's fucked up," Sirius said quietly.

"I will not argue with you," Anima said quietly. "You seek my help in stopping him, and Sin. I will grant it to you, Summoners. The power of the Dark Aeon, Anima. Use it well. For my sake, stop Seymour…"

* * *

"Is it usual for Fayth to be able to speak?" Harry asked as they left the chamber.

"It depends on their personality," Isaaru said. "They are capable of speaking, but whether they wish to speak is another matter. Valefor was certainly verbose."

Yuna nodded. "Ifrit didn't talk much. Ixion and Bahamut did talk a little, though, as did Shiva. Their Aeons, of course, can speak."

"Anima had a lot to say," Auron said. "You are the first Summoners other than Seymour to come to her in years. In all likelihood, the first Summoners other than Seymour to come to her, ever."

"It's still weird seeing them as they once were," Rikku remarked. "I mean, Anima's rather beautiful, and yet, she turns into that…thing. And then, you've got Bahamut. Looks like a kid in a purple hooded shirt and shorts, and yet, he's the most powerful of the Pilgrimage Aeons."

Tidus blinked. "Wait, what? Did you say a kid in a purple hooded shirt? Does he talk like he's an adult or something?"

Yuna turned to face him. "You've met him?"

"He has," Auron said. "Fayths, like Unsent, can enter the Dream Zanarkand. There are few places they can travel to, given their state."

"So that kid was Bahamut?" Tidus asked.

"And I've already obtained him from Bevelle," Yuna said. "Where to next?"

"The Calm Lands," Auron said. "We can find the Fayths of Yojimbo and the Magus Sisters there. From there, we'll cross Mount Gagazet, unless the Ronso bar our path. If that is the case, we'll have to use the _Fahrenheit_ to head to Zanarkand."

* * *

When they got back on board the Fahrenheit, Cid was scratching at his bald scalp. "I got good news and bad news. The good news is, I managed to send that sphere of Jyscal's to every sphere screen across Spira. Not only that, but while you were still getting that Aeon, I got contacted by no less a personage than Maester Mika. He's gonna investigate, claims he sent Kinoc to arrest Seymour. The bad news is, he has demanded our presence in Bevelle, as witnesses. And I smell a trap. I think he's gonna make an example out of all of us, Seymour included, for rocking the boat."

"I agree," Auron said. "Jyscal was beloved by many. They'll try to execute Seymour to make up for that, and execute us for attacking Seymour and going against Yevon."

"Yeah, I told him exactly where to shove that demand. Mika did drop some pretty unsubtle hints that, if Yuna does complete the Pilgrimage and defeat Sin, he'll consider that sufficient penance for our 'crimes', though I think he's hoping we'll all die in the process. I told him Yuna would consider it, so that might buy us some time from the Yevonites at least. You're probably going to be unwelcome in Bevelle or the main temples, though."

"The remaining temples are unofficial ones, at least until we get to Zanarkand. No Yevon priests reside over them," Auron said. "And if Mika dropped hints that Yuna would be allowed to complete the Pilgrimage, then the Ronso probably won't block us at Mount Gagazet. I'm more worried about the Guado: they are intensely loyal to Seymour, and I doubt that Seymour will go quietly. If anything, I think Mika has sent Kinoc to his death."

"Good riddance," Tidus remarked, before being cuffed on the back of the head by Auron. "Hey, what gives?! I thought you didn't like him!"

"I didn't like what Kinoc became, Tidus. He was a friend of mine. Without him, I would not have gone on the Pilgrimage with Braska and Jecht. He helped pull strings to allow us to leave Bevelle. He was a good man, once, before power twisted him."

"He also helped me out a few times," Paine admitted. "He helped me get away from my father a few times, saying it was because of you being my uncle, Auron. Which makes me wonder why he ordered us shot after the Den of Woe."

"He's changed. That's what time does…"

* * *

They made their way to Macalania Woods, where their expedition intended to stay for the time being. Cid promised that, if he didn't hear from them sooner, he'd pick them up from Zanarkand…assuming Yunalesca didn't slay them. While they were rather close to Bevelle, there were virtually no movements of either the Crusaders or the Warrior Monks, as far as Cid could tell from above.

While the others set up camp, not far from where they camped out before, Harry, Rikku, Tidus and Yuna were sitting at the edge of the sphere pool they had been to earlier. The one where they found a sphere of Jecht. "…What will happen after we defeat Yunalesca? _If_ we beat her?" Yuna asked quietly.

"What's this 'if' nonsense?" Tidus asked. "We'll kick her Unsent ass!"

"I'm…worried about Yevon's reaction. And if we cannot beat Sin after that…Spira will hate me. Spira will hate us all."

"We're used to Yevon's hate," Rikku said quietly. "We're used to Spira's hate. And Yunie, we've been working on fighting Sin for a long time. What Auron told us about Yu Yevon…it's the most information we've ever got about Sin. We can make plans, beyond throwing everything we can at it, you know? I mean, we have the means to suppress magic and Aeons. I think we can find something that'll work, and not just a bigger gun."

Yuna looked up at the stars, twinkling in the gaps between the trees. After a moment, she said, "I wish I could have seen your Zanarkand, Tidus. After what you said about it, what Seymour showed us in Guadosalaam…it looked beautiful. A different kind of beauty to Bevelle or Besaid or Luca…even before it became a dream, it looked like something out of a dream." She looked over at Tidus. "I hope your dream won't end, Tidus."

"Yeah," Harry said. "You're not a dream. You're more than that."

Tidus chuckled. "Yeah. I am. This is our story, isn't it? We share it. And I ain't gonna let anyone else but me write its ending. Not Yunalesca, not Yu Yevon, and not my old man…"

* * *

That night, as Harry dreamed, he found himself standing in the Chamber of the Fayth, back at Bevelle. The boy he had seen, Bahamut's Fayth, was standing on top of his own Fayth, looking more solid than he did before. "I didn't think this would work. I believe the passage between worlds made you more…receptive to us. And the gap in your mind left by what was in your scar gave us passage," Bahamut said.

"You're the Fayth of Bahamut," Harry said.

"Yes. Forgive my intrusion, Harry Potter. Ever since we met in Bevelle, I've needed to speak to someone, and I can only do so much through my Aeon. In truth, to do so publicly might cause problems. Auron has told you of Tidus' origins. In truth, the Fayth across Spira, but those waiting at the edge of Mount Gagazet in particular, are so tired, so weary, of dreaming the dream Zanarkand has become. And we have become weary of our complicity in Spira's suffering. In order for Sin to die, so must Dream Zanarkand, and the Fayth. If you are able to overcome Yu Yevon, that is what you must do to ensure Yu Yevon's warped spirit never re-emerges."

Harry was struck with horror when the implications of that hit him. "But…you and the people in Dream Zanarkand…"

"Will go to the Farplane. We, the Fayth, would certainly welcome rest eternal, especially if it meant the end of Yu Yevon and Sin."

"But what about Tidus?"

"He is a dream. He may fade when we are granted our eternal rest."

"Then how is that any better than the Final Summoning? Sacrificing a life like that?" Harry demanded.

"I am not saying that will definitely be his end." Bahamut looked at Harry. "Tidus, along with the others on this journey, will vanquish Sin. If he means that much to you, then…we may be able to keep him in existence. You may all be able to. He may become your dream instead of ours, a dream that becomes real, that can stay with Yuna, and with you all. Even a few dreams outlive the dreamer, Harry. Believe in him with all of your heart. Ensure the others do so too. That way, when our story comes to its end, his own may not."

"It seems a lot to bank on a maybe," Harry said. "He could fade from existence. I don't want to tell him that."

"If you feel he can handle the truth…then tell him. If he wants confirmation, tell him, when he reaches the Fayth Wall at Zanarkand, to touch it. I will be able to tell him myself. Through the last gasp of our fading dreams, and into the dreams of your reality, Tidus may yet survive. Have faith. In him, in yourself, in Yuna, and the others."

* * *

The next morning, as they set out for the Calm Lands, Harry recalled his dream, his conversation with Bahamut. How could he do that to Tidus? Look him in the eye, and tell him that his very existence may come to an end, unless by some miracle, the power of belief kept him in reality?

As it happened, it was a moot point. On a cliff overlooking the Calm Lands, Seymour was waiting, flanked by Warrior Monks, along with Kinoc. "Auron! Stay away!" Kinoc yelled. "He…" Suddenly, he gurgled as something rather grotesque and vaguely insectoid impaled him through his chest with its tail.

"Kinoc!" Auron yelled.

Seymour chuckled. "I have saved him."

"You murdered him," Harry said.

"You labour, as you all do, under a misapprehension," Seymour said. "Kinoc was a man who desired power above all other considerations. But as he accumulated power, he accumulated fear as well. Trembling at unseen and unknown adversaries, he spent his days scheming petty schemes. You should know this better than anyone, Paine. You, after all, were one of the victims of one of them."

"So?" Paine asked. "You didn't kill him out of consideration for me, or for the Crimson Squad."

"No. I did kill him as a mercy, though," Seymour said with a serene smile. "Kinoc has no more worries. Merely sleep eternal, the sweetest slumber of all. The pain of life, swept away."

"Life is pain," Harry snarked. "Anyone who tells you differently is selling you something(1)."

Again, Seymour chuckled. "Your jests are entertaining, Harry. I will miss them. But I have come to the conclusion that if all life in Spira was to end, then suffering would die along with it. That is why I need you, Lady Yuna. I will become the next Final Aeon, and with it, the next Sin! I will bring about the salvation of Spira through its destruction!"

After a moment, Sirius said to Lupin, "You know, I never thought I'd meet someone even more batshit crazy than Cousin Bella. Hell, he's worse than Voldemort. At least Voldemort didn't want to kill everyone in the world, and call it salvation!"

Dona, meanwhile, glared at Seymour. "You dare speak to us of ruining Spira to save it?!" she demanded. "I took the Summoner's Vows to protect the people of Spira, not to allow their deaths!"

"As did I," Isaaru said.

"And I," Yuna said. "You wish for me to assist you in genocide? I refuse, now, and forever. And, if you would excuse my Al Bhed, _Ku du ramm, yht cdyo drana_."

"Whoa, Yunie, those are fighting words!" Rikku laughed.

"Indeed. Did you kiss your mother with that mouth?" Seymour asked, as the body of Kinoc, and the Warrior Monks around him, dissolved into Pyreflies. Seymour himself changed, becoming something vaguely like something carved out of stone and metal, like an elaborate statue with a frame connected to him. The insect-like monster curled around him. His voice distorted by his transformation into something reverberating and flanging, Seymour said, " _You have little say in this, Yuna. You will turn me into the next Sin, and your comrades will fall into the Farplane!_ "

 **CHAPTER 17 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, there you have it. Yuna and the other Summoners have Anima, Harry's learned the truth about Tidus, and they're about to fight Seymour Natus at the entrance to the Calm Lands. I'm crap at writing battle scenes, so the next chapter will open with them having just beaten Seymour Natus.**

 **Review-answering time!** **diagonalpumpkin** **: Perfectly understandable. It was only while trying to get into Seymour's head for this story that I realised I could make him into a hero for** ** _Vincit Qui Patitur_** **. A rather bitter hero where his fellow Guado are concerned, but it was rather surprising.**

 **1\. I've used this quote, from** ** _The Princess Bride_** **, more than a few times in my fanfics.**


	19. Chapter 18: Calm Lands, Troubled Hearts

**CHAPTER 18:**

 **CALM LANDS, TROUBLED HEARTS**

It was harder than before to fight off Seymour, especially as he was an Unsent, and capable of turning into a Fiend, with another Fiend to help him. However, despite Seymour's power, he was also outnumbered, and he had seriously pissed people off. The Summoners decided to hold off on using Anima when Isaaru brought out Bahamut, only for Seymour to promptly banish the Aeon. But even as Seymour finally weakened, he snarled, " _I will NOT give you the chance to Send me!_ " He then hurled himself off the cliff they were fighting on, dissolving into Pyreflies.

Remus muttered, "He's going to pop up again, isn't he?"

"We couldn't Send him," Yuna said. "Therefore, he probably will."

"Salvation of Spira through destroying it?" Dona remarked with a scowl. "He's absolutely insane."

"And in other news, Bikanel Island is hot and sandy," Rikku snarked.

Auron walked over to where Kinoc had fallen. Paine, after a moment, followed him. Both performed the Yevon prayer gesture, a surprising gesture from the two, given what Kinoc had done, and their attitudes to Yevon.

Wakka, after a moment, caught on, surprisingly for the rooster-haired Blitzball player. "They're mournin' the friend they once had, ya? I mean, Paine said Kinoc helped her out before that whole Crimson Squad business," he muttered. "They aren't mourning the Maester, but the guy he once was."

"Kinoc was a friend once," Auron said as he came back, Paine in tow. "He even tried to warn us against Seymour before he died. Something was left of the man I once knew. Come, we must make haste…"

* * *

Seeing the Calm Lands in those videos provided by the Al Bhed was one thing. To see it in person was another. A series of vast plains, dotted with the wreckage of machina, and with ravines and crevasses, the only place of note being another Rin Travel Agency. There was a temple they had to stop by first, though, that which granted the Magus Sisters: Remiem Temple.

Thanks to Sirius and the other senior wizards present, they entered the temple, finding, to their astonishment, another Summoner present, by the name of Belgemine. This was a Summoner the others had encountered before, and who had tested Yuna. And, to their astonishment, she revealed herself to be an Unsent.

"So, you're another non-malicious Unsent?" Harry asked, peering at the woman clad in green.

"You have met another?" Belgemine asked. Her eyes flickered over to Auron, who nodded. "I see. So Sir Auron has revealed his nature to you. There are other benign Unsent in the world. Those who have regrets. You have met Maechen, of course."

There was some surprise, but Harry remembered Maechen. The doddery old man had been at both the Thunder Plains and Lake Macalania, and had regaled them with tales about the various regions they went to. There was something of Maechen that reminded Harry of Professor Binns, though Maechen was certainly more interesting and likeable than Binns. At least Maechen could hold forth on more than one topic. It seemed that Maechen had more in common with Binns than Harry first thought.

"So he is an Unsent?" Isaaru asked.

"I believe he has forgotten what he actually is, but yes," Belgemine said. "I once spoke to him when he still remembered what he was, and he told me of going to a concert of the singer and Summoner Lenne at Zanarkand. I once came across a couple of spheres of her on my travels, actually. Lenne was famous before Zanarkand's fall, apparently. You actually resemble her slightly, Lady Yuna, if you had longer hair. I only know a little about her, though. It was said that she was the lover of a Blitzball player known as Shuyin, and the two of them died in Bevelle during the war."

"We're wasting time," Dona said impatiently. "The distant past, especially that not relevant to Sin, has little to do with the present. Lady Belgemine, we need access to the Fayth of the Magus Sisters."

"Forward, aren't you?" Belgemine asked. "Well, I want Lady Yuna to face my Bahamut first. I can then give you one of the artifacts needed to open the door. Of course, given the magic your associates can wield, you can open it anyway, but do me the courtesy of showing me how much you improved, Yuna."

"Right," Yuna said, stepping forward.

* * *

The clash of Aeons was spectacular, Harry had to admit. He kept close to Rikku as Yuna and Belgemine battled, sending their versions of Bahamut against each other to fight. And after that, Belgemine called a halt. "Very well. You have improved immensely, Lady Yuna." She handed over a rather floral-looking staff. "The Flower Scepter. Normally, you would need the Blossom Crown as well, but if your associates can unlock it…well, you have already shown yourself worthy, I believe. Go through."

The three Summoners nodded, and walked over, with Sirius accompanying them. With his help, the door unlocked to the Chamber of the Fayth, and the three Summoners entered.

After a moment, Harry said quietly to Tidus, "Tidus…I need to talk to you about something."

* * *

The pair of them left the temple proper, standing outside. "What's the matter, Harry?" Tidus asked.

"Last night…I had a dream. I spoke to one of the Fayths, the Fayth of Bahamut," Harry said. "We spoke about quite a few things…including you."

"Me?"

"Tidus, Auron told us you're a living dream from a Zanarkand that never fell, dreamed by Fayth and by Sin. But…Bahamut claimed that when we defeat Sin for good…it's possible that, because we have to get rid of Dream Zanarkand in the process…you might fade as well."

Tidus stared at him, warring emotions on his face, before he turned away. "I guess dreams don't outlive the dreamer, huh?" Tidus said bitterly. "Harry…thanks for telling me this. I mean…I hate what you told me. But it's better than Auron being all aloof and mysterious."

"Tidus…Bahamut said that it's not certain whether you fade. He claimed…he claimed that as long as we all believe in you, believe in your existence outside of Dream Zanarkand, then you might not fade. Tidus…I believe in you. Rikku does, Sirius does, I'm sure Yuna does, not to mention her other Guardians. I don't want you to fade, and I don't think anyone else here does either."

Tidus scoffed, turning around, tears trickling from his eyes. "Lot to bank on, with a maybe."

"Yeah, well, defeating Sin is only really a maybe, isn't it?" Harry said. "We're banking a lot on that."

Tidus laughed ruefully. "Yeah, I guess." He then chuckled a bit as he wiped his tears away. "My old man'd probably say something like, ' _stop crying, ya big baby_ ', or something."

"Crying's fine, if it's something that needs crying about," Harry said. "You just need to know when to stop, and move on."

"…Who are we going to tell?" Tidus asked. "If it depends on us believing in me…we might need to tell the others, or some of them, anyway."

"Yuna and Rikku, definitely, along with Sirius. We could also get the Al Bhed on board. Lulu too. Dunno about the others. And Auron probably already knows, but if we have to Send Sin, it'd probably be a moot point. He'd be Sent to the Farplane with them."

* * *

The others emerged later, and they soon made their way across the Calm Lands proper. Along the way, they encountered Father Zuke, a Summoner Lulu had once been Guardian to, but who had faltered during his Pilgrimage. He warned them that it wasn't a good idea to head to any temples at the moment.

Across the broken and tumbled landscape of the Calm Lands they made their way. Their destination, for the time being, was the Travel Agency halfway across. And it was there that they quietly notified the others, the ones they thought could keep it quiet, and have enough faith in Tidus, about what might happen. They had taken them just outside the Travel Agency to do so.

Naturally, Yuna and Rikku were mortified, as was Sirius. Lulu's reaction was considerably more subdued, but even she was not happy with this. "The only chance Tidus has of surviving this…is belief in him? And even that's a vague chance?"

"It's better than no chance," Harry said. "We believe in him because we're friends and comrades. We know the truth of his existence, and yet, we also know that, despite being a dream, he is more real than any dream. Instead of being the Fayth's dream, he is our dream."

Yuna bit her lip pensively, before approaching Tidus. "Tidus…I have faith in you. I believe in you, because you believed in me, enough to try and help me survive the Pilgrimage. And even if you do fade, I will make my way to wherever you go, Farplane or somewhere else, and bring you out." It was said so calmly, but with a strong undercurrent of determination.

"You hear that, Tidus?" Sirius said. "You've got a girlfriend ready to head into the afterlife and pull you out." Both Tidus and Yuna had the decency to blush.

Harry had sort of gotten the idea that Tidus and Yuna were, if not actually in love, then getting there. The two were getting closer. He'd even seen them kissing while they were at that sphere pool at Macalania Forest (not that he could talk: he and Rikku were also making out). A bond was there. But it was almost as if this was the first true exposure of it.

Lulu emitted something between a chuckle and a scoff. "I shouldn't be surprised. But try to keep your libido on a leash, Tidus, until we've stopped Sin. I know Cid has already given Harry and Rikku that talk."

"Hey, I'm not like Seymour, doing that creepy crap. I'll be good," Tidus said.

"Very well, but remember who charged into the Cloisters without being a Guardian not once, but twice…" Lulu said with a wry smirk on her face.

* * *

At the Travel Agency, the Summoners and their Guardians discussed their next move. Lulu was wary, but they intended to try and obtain the very Fayth one of the Summoners she had been Guardian to, Lady Ginnem, had died trying to obtain: Yojimbo. Of course, the problem might be the Ronso of Mount Gagazet. Mika had dropped those hints that Yuna would be allowed to complete her Pilgrimage, if only so that her defeating Sin would kill off a troublesome Summoner, but he may not have told Kelk Ronso to let Yuna pass unmolested.

"It's a bridge we'll have to cross when we come to it," Auron mused. "At the moment, though, our biggest problem is not Yevon or Sin. It's Seymour."

"We'll have to try and Send him next time," Isaaru said. "That monster he turned into was very powerful. I have heard tales of the Unsent becoming dangerous Fiends of the highest order, but this is worse than I thought. And they tend to grow stronger as time goes by."

"Oh, great," Harry snarked. "You hear that, Yuna? You've got a creepy undead monster pretty boy stalker would-be boyfriend."

* * *

Somewhere in the multiverse, a certain sparkling vampire sneezed.

* * *

Yuna's eyes widened, and she seemed to want to say something, only for her mouth to work up and down like a ventriloquist dummy's.

"Well, well," Dona remarked wryly. "Did you just break her?"

"Blunt metaphors trauma," Remus said with a shrug. "I think we're rubbing off on Harry. The Marauders, I mean."

Yuna shook her head. "I'm fine. I'm…just still getting used to the rather blunt humour Harry and his comrades use. And it is not a welcome way to understand what Seymour is."

"He's obsessed with you," Auron said. "Unwelcome truths are sometimes necessary. Seymour was a powerful mage before he became an Unsent. As the battle we fought earlier showed, we will be hard-pressed to defeat him again, even together. And keep in mind this: Yunalesca is even more so. The Magus Sisters' allegiance will help. So will Yojimbo when we obtain him. But make no mistake: Seymour and Yunalesca are not to be trifled with."

"We know this," Tidus said. "But we swore to stop this."

"Yeah!" Rikku said. "We're not gonna back down!"

Yuna nodded. "I speak for all Summoners when I say that we fight Sin in hope of stopping it forever one day. If we cannot do it through what Yevon demands of us, then we find another way. And if we have to fight Seymour and Yunalesca to do so, then so be it. Even if we die, I would rather go to the Farplane knowing that I tried to bring about peace permanently. As Tidus said, this is OUR story. We write it, and we do so together."

"Did someone get déjà vu?" Tonks asked. "Didn't we hear this before?"

"Hey, don't diss the power of a good pep talk, ya?" Wakka retorted. "I'm guessin' we'll be needing more of those for a while…"

 **CHAPTER 18 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Sorry about the wait, as usual. And a** ** _Twilight_** **reference. How low have I sunk? Anyway, this chapter is mostly filler, with the next chapter being devoted to events on Mount Gagazet. It'll basically go to the middle of Kimahri's battle against those two Ronso, and then to the next battle against Seymour. Yes, Yuna and the other Summoners will get Yojimbo.**

 **Review-answering time!** **Mangahero18** **: The only one I recall having any trouble with was Seymour Flux, the one you fight on Mount Gagazet.**

 **Gamerteen13** **: I will end this story as** ** _Final Fantasy X_** **ends, but a sequel will cover the events of** ** _Final Fantasy X-2_** **when it is written.**

 **No numbered annotations for this chapter.**


	20. Chapter 19: Cold Mountain, Cold Heart

**CHAPTER 19:**

 **COLD MOUNTAIN, COLD HEART**

"I wish I had some popcorn," Harry muttered as he watched Kimahri battle it out against a pair of Ronso. Apparently, these two had been giving Kimahri grief throughout the Pilgrimage, and indeed, one of them had been responsible for breaking off Kimahri's horn.

It was eventful, leaving the Calm Lands. A couple of Guado, on Seymour's orders, had set a massive robot on them. They had then descended to the Cave of the Stolen Fayth, where Yojimbo resided. True, they had to defeat him, and Send Lady Ginnem, first. But they'd managed to recruit, albeit by haggling an asking price, one of the more powerful Aeons.

Of course, once they actually got to Mount Gagazet (with Sirius, Remus, and Tonks using Warming Charms to help against the cold), they were confronted by Maester Kelk Ronso. For a time, it seemed like the Ronso Maester hadn't gotten the memo from Mika…until he revealed that he wished to test the resolve of Yuna and the other Summoners and Guardians. Having satisfied himself, he decided to let them pass, only for Biran and Yenke, the two Ronso who had been giving Kimahri grief, to halt them. Leading to this.

"This is not meant to be entertainment," Kelk Ronso rebuked Harry. He was very erudite for a Ronso.

"I never said it was. Farces should be funny, but I ain't laughing(1)," Harry snarked. "This is just a…" He caught himself at the last minute, and said, "…Horn-measuring contest."

"Indeed," Kelk said, his leonine smirk telling Harry that he knew what Harry really intended to say…and found it amusing regardless. "But we Ronso respect the strong, the strength of the individual, and of the tribe. You said that Seymour Guado pursues you?"

"Yes," Rikku said. They, along with Yuna and Tidus, were closest to Kelk Ronso. "You knew he's an Unsent before we told you?"

"I have known since he came from that fight in Macalania Temple. And I have known about Grand Maester Mika before then. Even as an Unsent, his wisdom is valuable to Spira," Kelk said. "Enlightened rule by the dead is preferable to the misguided rule of the living."

"Just 'cause you're dead doesn't mean you're enlightened. Seymour's more batshit crazy when he was dead than he was alive," Tidus retorted.

"Indeed. He has already slain Maester Kinoc, from what you reported. It seems he too has abandoned Yevon, and for less admirable reasons than you have, Lady Yuna. To wish to become Sin is the height of folly."

"And yet, that's what he desires," Yuna said. "He claims he will deliver Spira from its fear, through mass murder."

Kelk watched as Kimahri managed to knock out one of his foes, and began going after the other in earnest. "A foolish notion. Lady Yuna, Grand Maester Mika is hoping you will die trying to defeat Sin, particularly with the Final Aeon. In doing so, he hopes to make you into a martyr, but Yevon's martyr, and not for the malcontents of Spira. However, I will confess that I hope you may have found a way to stop Sin for good, as a Ronso rather than a Maester of Yevon."

"We're working on it," Harry said. "We found out more about Sin and its origins. I don't think you'd believe us, but…let's just say we may have a chance, a small chance, of beating Sin for good. And if it helps reassure your Maester side…the Fayth have agreed on this strategy."

Kelk looked over at Yuna, who said, "It is true, Maester. The Fayth support us."

Kelk seemed to notice the rather precise wording, but to his credit, merely smiled, and said, "Then let us hope you are successful in your endeavours, Lady Yuna, along with your fellow Summoners and your respective Guardians. I think this interlude has played out, and in Kimahri's favour."

Indeed, Kimahri had just brought his other adversary to his knees. But to Harry's astonishment and the others, the other Ronso, Biran, was actually smiling. "Strong is Kimahri," he growled. "Biran…is happy." He then got to his feet, and roared to the sky, "SACRED MOUNT GAGAZET! I HONOR THE NAME OF STRONG WARRIOR WHO DEFEATS BIRAN! REMEMBER ALWAYS, GAGAZET! THAT NAME IS KIMAHRI!"

Harry stuck a finger in his ear and wiggled it about. He refrained from making a pointed remark about a volume control: Kimahri didn't deserve his moment spoiled like that.

The other Ronso who was fighting Kimahri, Yenke, revived, and said, "Mountain knows Kimahri strong. Kimahri may pass."

"I don't think Kimahri needed to prove it to the _mountain_ ," Harry snarked.

"Sacred Mount Gagazet was witness to this battle," Kelk said. "It was only the final proof needed. The mountain knew that Kimahri was indeed worthy. But there are some who need proof."

Biran strode over to Yuna. "Summoner! We Ronso will stop Seymour from pursuing! Penance for breaking Kimahri's horn, long ago."

"Biran," Yuna said, "I thank you for your aid, but Seymour has become an Unsent of frightening power."

"If Seymour threatens all of Spira as you claim," Kelk said, "then we must try. Kimahri can be your vanguard, and we shall be your rearguard. Should you and your fellow Summoners defeat Sin, even if Yevon refuses to create any statues to a traitor, we Ronso will make them."

"With grand horn on heads!" Yenke added.

"…That would be wonderful," Yuna said diplomatically, as far as the horns were concerned.

* * *

The cold wind whipped at them as they made their way up Mount Gagazet. Harry and Rikku, along with Tidus, brought up the rear, and as they reached an area near a snowswept cliff, the three of them paused. Rikku said, quietly, "Zanarkand's on the other side, you know?"

"We know," Tidus said. "She's not going to die. She and the others pretty much believe Auron about the Final Aeon now."

"Yeah," Harry said. "The only problem is, can we beat Yunalesca? And beat Sin without causing you to vanish?"

"I don't know, but we won't know unless we try!" Tidus proclaimed. "It'll all come together! I know it!"

Rikku giggled. "You sounded a bit like a leader there, Tidus," she said.

"Hey, I was the star player of the Zanarkand Abes," Tidus boasted, before he sagged. "Not that it means much, given that I'm a dream. You guys believe in me, don't you?"

"Tidus, even if you did fade, we'd all head to the Farplane and drag you out," Harry said with a grin. "Yuna'd help."

Tidus chuckled, as did Rikku, though her chuckle ceased when she caught a glimpse of something behind them, standing on the cliff. Harry and Tidus whirled to find Seymour standing there, smirking.

Harry, having been told about the Patronus' messaging abilities by Remus, cast one, and hissed, urgently, "Get back here now! Seymour's here!" The ghostly stag dashed off.

"A most interesting spell," Seymour remarked. "Harry Potter, the odd mage. Rikku, daughter of Cid. And Tidus, son of Jecht. Sadly, your time to die is at hand."

"Right words," Tidus retorted, readying his sword. "But the wrong guy's saying it."

"Save some for Kimahri!" roared the Ronso, as he, along with the others, came dashing back.

As Yuna, Dona, and Isaaru prepared to Send Seymour, he sent spells at them, sending them flying. "A Sending, so soon? I had something to say to your Ronso friend ere I go." He turned a malicious smirk onto Kimahri. "Your people are a truly gallant one, Kimahri. They threw themselves at me to hinder me…one after the other. I do believe I may have ended the suffering of a good proportion of the Ronso."

Kimahri's eyes first widened in shock, then narrowed in fury when he realised the import of Seymour's words. "No…" he snarled.

"You could end the suffering of this poor Ronso," Seymour said to Yuna as she got to her feet with Lulu and Wakka's help.

"Save your little speech about how death is salvation from suffering," Dona said, glaring at Seymour. "You are an abomination, a monster who wants to become Sin!"

"Oh? And here I was about to say that, with me as Sin, Jecht will be freed," Seymour said. "Surely Tidus ought to have a say?"

"I do! And I say, to hell with your proposal!" Tidus yelled, dashing forward to attack Seymour, only to be thrown back by a blast of energy.

"Pitiful mortals," Seymour sneered, all pretence of affability gone, as light shot up the cliff behind him, revealing a vast, bizarre creature, one Seymour was now rising into the air, merging with it. His voice rang out, warped and flanging, as he glared down at them. " _Your hope ends HERE! And so too your meaningless existence!_ "

* * *

The battle was once more a hard-won one. Seymour was far more vicious and aggressive with his attacks, and kept on dispelling any Aeons sent out against him. However, Isaaru got lucky, and managed to summon the Magus Sisters long enough to use their ultimate ability, the Delta Attack. That weakened Seymour long enough for Dona to call out Yojimbo, who slashed Seymour's conveyance in half.

Seymour, however, dropped away into the abyss off the side of the cliff, denying them the chance to Send him once more. Paine scowled as she looked over the abyss, clutching at a burn that Yuna was healing. "He's going to turn up again."

"Like a bad penny," Sirius said, almost cheerfully, as Tonks handed him a Potion. "He's as persistent as the Dark Wanker. Most of our spells, the one from our world, barely affect him anymore, he's that powerful. Can't Body-Bind him to pin him down long enough to Send him."

Rikku, Harry, and Tidus, meanwhile, had gone over to Kimahri. Once Yuna had finished tending to Paine, she did so too. "Kimahri…" Yuna began quietly, but the massive Ronso shook his head. He intended to grieve quietly. Not that he didn't appreciate Yuna's gesture. But Ronso were stoic when it came to matters of grief, unless it came to taking revenge. Then, they would turn their grief into anger, and attack the offending party.

* * *

It was decided to put off leaving Mount Gagazet for the time being, heading back to see what help the Ronso needed, even if it was only Sending. Seymour hadn't killed them all, but he had decimated their population. Kelk, Biran, and Yenke were amongst the dead. Yuna and Isaaru healed, while Dona helped Send the dead.

Afterwards, they made the trip across the mountain again, before finally coming to a destination they needed to see with their own eyes. That was the wall infested with Fayth, a long wall filled with the petrified bodies of what were once Zanarkand citizens, covered by a shimmering curtain of eldritch energy.

"These were once the people of Zanarkand?" Rikku asked in horror.

"Indeed," Auron said. "The last-ditch effort of Yu Yevon to preserve something of his city, but at a terrible cost."

"These Fayth are certainly summoning something," Isaaru mused, peering at the statues. "With all this power, it's not surprising that Sin is as strong as it is."

"Much of the power goes to maintaining Dream Zanarkand," Auron said. He then noticed Tidus approaching the wall of Fayth. "Tidus…"

Tidus, unheeding of the warning tone in Auron's voice, touched the shimmering energy field, only to convulse, and topple to the ground. They were on him in a flash. Yuna bent down and checked him. "It's okay, he's unconscious. He's not even hurt." She said that seemingly more to reassure herself than the others.

"What got into him?!" Wakka demanded.

"He's from Dream Zanarkand," Lulu mused. "Maybe he is…communing with it."

"How long will it be before he wakes?" Paine asked. "We'll need to get going before long."

"We wait," Auron said. "He will wake before long." He then looked at the others. "Yunalesca will soon send powerful Fiends to test us. She awaits the arrival of the strongest Summoners. Remember what we came here to do. Don't lose your nerve."

"I don't think anything truly frightens me anymore," Yuna said. Then, her eyes flickered down to Tidus' sleeping form. Left unsaid were the words, _Save for one thing. Losing him_ …

* * *

Some minutes later, Tidus stirred, his blue eyes flickering open. Yuna held him to her. "Please, don't do anything like that again!" she said as she embraced him.

"Hey…no promises," Tidus said with a rueful chuckle, getting shakily to his feet with Yuna's help. His eyes then met Harry's. "…I spoke to Bahamut. He confirmed what you told me."

"So…you're okay with it?"

"Not really, but, well…" Tidus chuckled ruefully again. "Let's go. We've got things to do, right?"

They all agreed, but even as they moved off, there was a sense of unease, that, as they began to reach what could be journey's end, an even more uncertain future awaited them. Especially as they intended to do the impossible: fight Yunalesca, and after her, Sin…

 **CHAPTER 19 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, here you have it, not long after I posted the previous chapter. Hopefully, chapters will be a bit quicker in coming for this story. The next chapter will skip to just before Yunalesca.**

 **Review-answering time!** **MKTerra** **: I can't remember having any major trouble against Yunalesca (had to remember to keep the Zombie status on people so that Megadeath couldn't wipe my party), but I agree about Seymour Flux.**

 **Alex2909** **: Thanks. It's something I only thought of on the fly. I read** ** _Twilight_** **once. I didn't think it as truly bad as much as just mediocre and boring and tedious to read.**

 **1\. Harry's line is paraphrased from a line the Laughing Man uses in the fourth episode of** ** _Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex_** **: "A farce should be funny, but I haven't laughed even once!"**


	21. Chapter 20: Yunalesca

**CHAPTER 20:**

 **YUNALESCA**

Harry stared as the figure sashayed out of the doorway. They had just made it to the inner sanctum of Zanarkand. Along the way, they had fought powerful Fiends, beheld the ruins of Zanarkand (what a beautiful city it must've been), and, through the masses of Pyreflies in the Zanarkand Dome that was once their stadium, beheld memories from the past. They saw a young Seymour begging his mother not to become an Aeon, as well as a younger Auron and Jecht protesting against Braska intending to sacrifice himself.

And now, here they were, in the presence of Yunalesca, who was emerging from a doorway in the hall they had arrived in. Harry had to admit, she was impressive in person. Though dressed in what looked like a thong bikini with a few accoutrements, she nonetheless had an air of authority and gravitas. Her long silver hair framed beautiful features, her golden eyes looking at them all with welcome in them. And the power rolled off her in waves. She was certainly more powerful than Seymour, even after the last time they had encountered him.

Harry listened to her little spiel, and then, as Yunalesca walked back through the doorway, apparently to leave them to discuss things, Harry looked at Rikku. "I'm going to go talk with her. I'll send a Patronus if I need to."

"I'm going with you," Rikku said.

"Take care, Harry," Auron cautioned. "Remember her power. Don't do anything rash."

"I'm a Gryffindor. That means I rush in where angels fear to tread," Harry said with a nervous grin, before he and Rikku went through the doorway Yunalesca left through.

The chamber beyond was strange beyond belief, a ruin that seemed to float in a starry void. The Hymn of the Fayth, warped and distorted, echoed around them. Yunalesca was standing there, waiting, though she seemed bemused. "And why have you come? Have you opted to become the Final Aeons?"

"We know the truth about them," Rikku said.

Yunalesca raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what is that?"

"Your father stays alive in the end, doesn't he?" Harry said. "Yu Yevon…the core of Sin. Is it worth it?"

"Is what worth it?" Yunalesca asked, seemingly genuinely puzzled.

"All that death, those killed by Sin, by the Final Aeon…all to keep your father and Dream Zanarkand alive. Is that really worth it? Or is it revenge for Zanarkand being destroyed?" Harry asked.

"Sin is the punishment for the hubris of all Spira," Yunalesca said, frowning.

"You mean your father's revenge for Zanarkand falling. Am I right?" Harry asked. "Punishing people for a thousand years, over a war that ended long ago? Turning people like Rikku, who dare to use machina to try and better themselves into pariahs and outcasts? I can understand wanting to create Dream Zanarkand, to try and save your people, even in a weird way. But is it worth it? How many people will die because of Sin before Yu Yevon is sated?"

Anger flashed in Yunalesca's eyes. But even as Harry tensed, ready to fight what would probably be a losing battle, the Unsent woman eventually looked at him with eyes glistening with tears. "He never will be."

"What do you mean?" Rikku asked.

"Though it saddens me to admit it, my father is no longer sane. He is little more than a creature of instinct, a parasite."

"A parasite that infests the Final Aeon, turns it into Sin," Rikku said.

"So you know. I wonder how. Then again, I saw Auron, the one who was once Guardian to Lord Braska. It seems he has uncovered certain truths." Yunalesca turned from them, and walked across the ruins, looking at the starry void around them. "My father gave himself and Zanarkand immortality, but at an appalling cost to himself."

"…Can someone else take control of Sin from him? Or become the next Sin, deliberately?" Harry asked.

After a moment, Yunalesca said, "It would be madness to consider such a thing. It is a remote possibility, but…"

"A man, well, an Unsent called Seymour Guado intends such a thing," Rikku said. "He's obsessed with saving Spira through killing everyone."

"Seymour Guado…yes, I remember him," Yunalesca said. "A damaged halfling child, crying for his dying mother, a mother I turned into an Aeon at her request. And yet, he never used her against Sin. He faltered. Many do."

"Can you blame them?" Harry asked.

"Of course not. To falter before committing one's self to death is perfectly understandable," Yunalesca said, turning back to face them. "You two are rather curious. An Al Bhed…and an unconventional mage. I saw through the eyes of the Sanctuary Keeper, that four of you used a magic I am unaware of. And you hold yourself very differently to anyone of Spira, even to that of the Al Bhed whose clothes you wear. Not what I would consider part of a Summoner's party."

"I'm surprised you're even talking to us about this," Rikku pointed out.

Yunalesca actually chuckled. It wasn't the laughter of a deranged monster or a lunatic, or a megalomaniac set to conquer the world. It was the rueful chuckle of a woman who, despite appearances, was centuries old. It made her seem more human, despite her being an Unsent. "The Fiends around Zanarkand are powerful, and few beyond the Summoners who survive the journey dare to come here. I will admit…even I can suffer from boredom. From a lack of human contact. It is only my duty that has me stay here. My duty to the Summoners who are to defeat Sin."

"By sending them to their deaths against daddy?" Harry replied a little snarkily.

"There is no other way," Yunalesca said sadly.

"How do you know?" Rikku asked. "Have you ever looked for another way?"

"I'm sure your people have made many attempts over the years, but they have never succeeded."

"…What if every Aeon was destroyed?" Harry asked. "Assuming you manage to damage Sin enough that it is disabled…and you destroyed every Aeon…every Fayth…what would your father have to latch onto?"

Yunalesca gaped at him. "Have you taken leave of your senses?"

"It has been claimed before," Rikku said, rolling her eyes.

"But without the Aeons…there is no defence against Sin!"

"Without the Aeons, there's nothing for your father to possess," Harry retorted. "Do you want to hear the kicker? The Fayth agree. They want a rest. The Fayth are sick of this, the people of Spira are sick of this…and I'm sure that if your father was capable of human feelings, if he became Sin purely to safeguard Dream Zanarkand, than to take revenge on Spira…then he'd want it to end too."

Yunalesca scoffed sadly. "I'm not sure that's the case. Do you know why I took up the Final Summoning? I saw the beast my father turned into. Dream Zanarkand had already been created, and Sin was destroying the real city. It was out of desperation that I turned to the man I loved, Lord Zaon, to become the ultimate Aeon. I vanquished Sin…but at a cost. Zaon turned on me."

"Auron said you founded the Yevon religion."

"Not quite. I set an example with the Final Aeon. Yevon sprung up on its own. I only encouraged it, because it was, I thought, the best way to appease my father."

"Oh yeah, appease the giant genocidal monster," Harry snarked. "You know as well as I do that Sin's not a god. It's a massive Fiend. It can die. We want to make sure it dies for good."

"There is no other way," Yunalesca insisted.

"How will you know if you never try to?" Harry asked. "We've got the beginnings of a plan. We know about Yu Yevon. We've got the Fayth on our side."

"You're deluded. It is better to live in hope, even if it is vain, than to die in despair."

Rikku snapped, "It's better to live, period! My cousin, Yuna, she wanted to sacrifice herself to ensure an eternal Calm! She wanted to make sure that people could sleep in their beds without fear of Sin, forever! That is worth dying for, but this? We knew there was something fishy about the Final Aeon. Yunalesca, I wanna ask you something. If you're letting people die on this vain hope, then doesn't that mean you have their blood on your hands?"

Yunalesca recoiled as if physically struck. Eventually, she said, "Few have dared question me in such a manner. Sorrow cannot be abolished. It is futile to try."

"It's not sorrow we're trying to abolish, but Sin!" Harry snapped. "Sorrow, pain, fear, hatred, that's all part of life. But so's joy and love and compassion! They cannot be abolished, but surely Sin can! What would Lord Zaon say if he saw you perpetuating this? Would he want you to appease your father, or put an end to him for good?"

Yunalesca stared at them, dumbfounded, until she saw the others walking in, Auron, Yuna, and Tidus at the front. "Auron…it has been some time. You look well, for a dead man," she remarked, seemingly glad for the distraction.

"And you look well for a dead woman," Auron retorted dryly.

"Indeed."

"I'm surprised you three hadn't started fighting," Tidus said.

"We've been negotiating," Rikku said.

"I have heard that you have told them the truth about the Final Aeon, and of my father, Auron," Yunalesca observed mildly.

"They found out my secret," Auron said simply. "I told Rikku and Harry first, and they eventually pestered me to tell the others. Harry comes from a world without Sin, a world where magic is hidden. He has a perspective on Spira that is refreshing. So too does Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Nymphadora Tonks."

Tonks swatted him on the back of his head. "Call me Nymphadora again, and I'll shove your sword so far up your arse, you can use the pointy end as a toothpick," she hissed at Auron. "Incidentally, are you compensating for something with it?"

"When I was alive, I could have been," Auron said with a slight smirk, half-hidden by his collar.

Yunalesca stared at them, before remarking, "You are a somewhat motley crew. You think you truly can beat Sin? Destroy my father?"

"Yes," Yuna said. "It is the duty of all Summoners to defeat Sin. By extension, that means your father. I'm sorry."

Yunalesca looked at them incredulously, before laughing, her peals of laughter echoing eerily through the void surrounding them. She laughed hard and long, the tone of the laughter having either the air of madness, or catharsis.

Eventually, she stopped. She looked at them, her expression unreadable. "You are all mad. You speak madness. I should cut you down where you stand before your insanity spreads, and leaves despair in its wake."

Auron frowned when he realised something. "But you're not."

"These two are more persuasive than I thought," Yunalesca said. She looked up at the starry void. "Even the Fayth now wish for it to end? And…you're right. Lord Zaon…he would want Spira's sorrow, that caused by Sin anyway, to end." She looked at Harry with a rather sad smile. "You remind me a little of him, actually. He was the spirited one, the one to sally forth into danger, leaving me shaking my head at his impulsiveness."

"Oh, so Gryffindor, then?" Harry asked.

The way Yunalesca tilted her head quizzically was actually quite funny, especially considering she was an undead woman who was over a thousand years old. But it seemed that they had obtained an unexpected ally…

* * *

"I'm not sure whether to consider this a brilliant coup, or your worst mistake," Auron observed as they walked through the Zanarkand Dome.

"Well, better than fighting her, isn't it?" Harry asked.

"As long as she doesn't stab us in the back," Auron said.

"Are you still bitter at her for killing you?" Rikku asked.

"Of course. I would be lying if I claimed otherwise. But I also recognise that, if she is genuine…then we may have a truly potent ally on our side."

A sharp crack echoed through the dome, and they turned to find Yunalesca striding away from Sirius, who was rubbing his now-bruised cheek rather ruefully. "Padfoot," Remus said. "Remember, she's undead."

"But she's hot!" Sirius lamented.

"I'm also taken," Yunalesca shot back as she moved away from Sirius. "Lord Zaon might be dead, but I vowed to join him in the Farplane when I was ready."

"Maybe if you didn't dress like a lingerie model…" Sirius muttered sullenly.

"I choose to dress this way," Yunalesca said. "I enjoy watching fools get distracted."

They emerged from the Zanarkand Dome, and stopped. And stared. There, waiting for them, watching them, was Sin. It made no move to attack. It just stared at them.

"Merlin's saggy testicles," Sirius breathed.

"Dad…" Tidus murmured.

Yunalesca looked at him sharply, before her eyes widened in recognition. "You…you are the child of that bearded braggart Jecht?"

Tidus chuckled weakly. "Yeah."

After a moment, she looked at Sin. "You have my condolences. For having him as a sire, I mean. Though you do not resemble him. You remind me of someone else, actually."

Sin looked down at them all, before it seemed to come to a conclusion. It then turned and left. Yunalesca stared as it moved away in astonishment. "It's not like Sin to merely turn away. More of your father must exist within it still than I would have thought possible."

"You should get out more," Rikku said cheekily.

"Indeed," Yunalesca conceded dryly. She then watched as the _Fahrenheit_ appeared. Her eyes widened. "That is…I know that airship. That used to be Lord Zaon's."

"A good omen, or a bad one?" Yuna asked.

"We shall see…" Yunalesca said.

 **CHAPTER 20 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Yes, we will see, won't we? Yes, believe it or not, they've managed to snag Yunalesca as an ally. This was something I thought of while writing the last couple of chapters. Having made Jenova an ally in my** ** _Final Fantasy VII_** **fics, and humanising Ultimecia in my** ** _Final Fantasy VIII_** **fics, as well as having a heroic Seymour in** ** _Vincit Qui Patitur_** **, I thought I'd continue that tradition.**

 **Now, why did Yunalesca choose to join Yuna and company to destroy Sin? It's complicated. The first thing is, reading into her character, Yunalesca thinks she is doing the right thing. Unlike Seymour, who is malevolent, or the Maesters (excepting Kelk Ronso), who are more concerned with hanging onto their own power and appeasing Sin, Yunalesca truly believes there is no other way to destroy Sin than by the Final Aeon. I think she actually feels her father should die, but is unable to, and so, the Final Aeon is basically the best chance they have. But when Harry and Rikku come along, and basically tell her what they intend to do, and what's more, have the Fayth on their side, Yunalesca is understandably thrown for a loop. I think the key point is when Harry points out that while sorrow is very much a part of life, Sin doesn't have to be. That, and bringing Zaon into this.**

 **Unlike Tidus and Yuna, who basically barge in and say 'screw fate', Harry and Rikku surprise Yunalesca by showing their knowledge, as well as informing her about the Fayth. Harry also reminds Yunalesca of Zaon, in temperament rather than appearance (we don't know much about his actual personality), and that, plus the potential threat of Seymour, is what prompts Yunalesca to change slightly. That, and her realisation, something she has kept even from herself, that she is almost as culpable of the deaths caused by Sin because of her endorsement of the Final Summoning. In a way, Harry and Rikku help Yunalesca regain her dwindled humanity. Oh, she will turn on them if she thinks their plan won't work. But unlike the game, she is actually getting a hint of hope herself.**

 **It's worth point out that, since writing the chapter where Auron claims that Yunalesca helped found Yevon, I learned through the Final Fantasy Wiki that Yunalesca had nothing to do with it. She played along with the teachings, but it was Bevelle itself that founded the Yevon religion. I thus added the line about Auron being mistaken.**

 **Sorry if this plot twist sounds contrived. It probably is, but hopefully, the cracks aren't showing too much. Though I'm sure many of you will view this as the shark-jumping point of the story.**

 **Review-answering time!** **Reishin Amara** **: Well, on your suggestion, I did something similar. Enjoy. :P**

 **Knightowl 4183** **: I consider it non-canon, as I do with** ** _Final Fantasy IV: The After Years_** **. Even official works are not necessarily canon. People, of course, are up in arms about the recent canon shake-up of the** ** _Star Wars_** **universe, and there's the tangled mess that is the Whoniverse (my personal fanon: only the TV series and the Big Finish audios can be considered canon, despite some excellent novels and such). That being said, I think audio as a medium is underrated. If you're a** ** _Doctor Who_** **fan, Knightowl 4183, check out what Big Finish has done in the way of audio dramas: quite a bit of it is far better than anything that's been on TV.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	22. Chapter 21: Revenants

**CHAPTER 21:**

 **REVENANTS**

In one of the cabins of the _Fahrenheit_ , Yunalesca peered pensively at a screen, reading the information scrolling on it. Eventually, she said, quietly, "After a thousand years, this ship still works. Zanarkand engineering at its finest."

Tidus, Rikku, Harry, Yuna and Cid were all present, along with Auron. "Yeah, we salvaged it in the waters between Besaid and Baaj," Cid said. He was certainly uneasy with allowing the famous Unsent onboard, but had been badgered into it by Rikku. Yunalesca had promptly shown him how to operate some of the systems he and the others had been having trouble with.

"I'm hardly surprised," Yunalesca said. "When Sin first appeared, my husband sent some of the last survivors of Zanarkand who hadn't become Fayth to Besaid in this very airship. In order to avoid Sin, they scuttled it, along with the former floating aerodrome between Besaid and Baaj. Besaid, even then, had less machina than the rest of Spira." She turned to face them, her gaze looking at Tidus. "I have come to a realisation. I have seen you before, or someone like you. Your name is Tidus, but you strongly resemble a Blitzball player called Shuyin."

Yuna frowned. "Belgemine told us about Shuyin, and of Lenne. But this is the first time that Shuyin was said to resemble Tidus. Belgemine claimed that Lenne resembled me."

"To a degree. I knew both personally. Lenne was a protégé of mine in the Summoning arts, although she was a famous singer. You do resemble her slightly in appearance, and in temperament, you emulate her more closely. She was a gentle, kind young woman, but with a core of steel and fire. Shuyin was both an excellent Blitzball player and a good swordsman, and as Lenne was my student, Shuyin was the student of my love, Zaon. You could very well be Shuyin's twin, Tidus. But I know you are no relation."

"What happened to them?" Tidus asked, curious about his doppelganger. "Belgemine told us something, but…do you know anything more?

Yunalesca chuckled sadly. "Lenne was ordered to the front lines of the war against Bevelle. Shuyin, in desperation to save her, infiltrated Bevelle. He intended to wrest control of a massive machina weapon, Vegnagun. Bevelle created it initially to be their ultimate weapon, but they made it too powerful, capable of destroying Spira in a single blast. If there is one machina that deserved to be banned by Yevon, it was Vegnagun. And it reacted badly to hostility and negative emotion, having a mind of its own. Otherwise, it might have been used against Zanarkand, against Sin. Shuyin was originally captured, but escaped. Lenne, after hearing what happened to Shuyin, deserted, heading to Bevelle to save Shuyin, and stop him from using Vegnagun. Sadly, they were captured, and executed on the spot."

"How do you know this?" Auron asked sceptically.

"Lenne's soul came to me, shortly before I began the Final Summoning with Zaon, and told me much of the story. I Sent her afterwards, to give her soul respite, though a number of spheres of her still exist, hidden throughout Spira, and Zanarkand in particular. Where Shuyin resides, I know not. We learned about Vegnagun through our spies in Bevelle, and sadly, Shuyin was listening to one we were debriefing." Yunalesca sighed, before turning around. "Leaving aside the fact that the Fayth support you in this plan to destroy what is left of my father, do you have much more to this plan?"

"It's still a work in progress," Rikku said.

"In any case, no plan survives contact with the enemy," Auron said.

Yunalesca chuckled. "No, it doesn't. Sin was unusually docile when we emerged from the Zanarkand Dome. That is probably due to Jecht's influence."

"Well, Wakka and Lulu mentioned something, something that got us thinking," Rikku said. She turned to Auron. "Once, you told Tidus that Jecht enjoyed listening to the Hymn of the Fayth, didn't you?"

Auron nodded. It was while they were on their way to Bikanel Island after the fiasco at Macalania. Cid frowned as he considered this. "You mean using the Hymn of the Fayth as a lure or something?"

"It's possible," Yuna said. "I did hear recent rumours before I left Besaid that Sin became docile in certain areas where the Hymn could be heard, usually in Lake Macalania, below the temple."

Yunalesca scoffed. "Sin, the incarnation of violent death and destruction, soothed by music like the proverbial savage beast."

"That's Jecht's influence," Auron said.

"Attack Sin head-on, and you die," Harry mused. "But use the Hymn of the Fayth, and you might get close enough to do some damage."

After a moment, Yunalesca nodded. "That has some merit. We find a way to lure Sin to the right spot through the Hymn. This ship has powerful external speakers from what I remember, but I think we need a large population centre to help. What are the largest settlements on Spira now? I know of Luca and Bevelle."

"They're the biggest ones at the moment, especially now that Home's gone," Cid said. "Everywhere else is a damned village."

"Bevelle then," Yunalesca said. "I may be even able to persuade the people to sing the Hymn. My name carries a lot of weight in Yevon, after all."

"Even while wearing a thong?" Harry snarked, perhaps unwisely. After all, this was a revenant over a thousand years old.

"As I said before, I enjoy watching fools get distracted," Yunalesca said.

* * *

They landed near Bevelle, and it was decided a relatively limited party would head there. Yunalesca, Harry, Rikku, Yuna, Tidus, Sirius, Auron, and Kimahri. Yunalesca's appearance turned a lot of heads, both in her manner of dress and the fact that she was, well, Yunalesca. Eventually, they were halted by a squad of guards. "Infidels!" one of them snarled. "You dare to show your face here?!"

"And with an impostor masquerading as Lady Yunalesca! Your heresy knows no bounds!" another snapped.

Yunalesca smirked sardonically. "Impostor?" She then waved a hand lazily, and the soldiers were lifted into the air, and then slammed down onto the ground. "I will forgive your own heresy, but only once. I would like to speak to someone in authority, either a Maester, or someone who can bring me to one."

"I'm here!" called a young woman in robes who dashed forward. Harry recognised her as Shelinda, whom they had met a couple of times. "Stand down, men! Lady Yuna has been framed by dissidents."

"I dunno whether you noticed," Sirius said, "but your men are already down. I blame a lack of fruit in their diet. Scurvy's a terrible thing."

Yunalesca released the soldiers. "And you are?"

"Shelinda. Are…are you Lady Yunalesca?" the young Yevonite asked, her eyes wide with awe.

"In the flesh. I wish to speak with a Maester. Any one will suffice."

"…The only one remaining is Grand Maester Mika," Shelinda said. "If you are, indeed, Lady Yunalesca, then I will take you to him. Indeed, Mika wished to speak to Lady Yuna should she arrive. Come."

As they walked along the pathways of Bevelle, Rikku looked around. "So, what was all that about being framed?"

"I do not understand it myself," Shelinda admitted. "All of Yevon seems to be descending into chaos and anarchy. Only yesterday, they conscripted me into being a captain of the guard!"

"It seems that with Kinoc and Kelk Ronso dead, and Seymour absent, Yevon is short on true believers," Auron observed.

"Yes, the chaos in the temples is worse than I ever would have imagined," Shelinda said, pursing her lips pensively. "The priests either lock themselves away to meditate on the teachings, or blame each other. And with that sphere of Jyscal alleging Maester Seymour to be a patricide…I worry what will become of Yevon, but I feel that I must become the rock that stands against the swirling tides."

"A good attitude to have," Yunalesca said. "It is good to see someone here who isn't wrapped up in their petty self-interests."

"It is Lady Yuna I should thank," Shelinda admitted. "Her courage has been an example to me in these dark times."

Harry stole a glance at Yuna, who seemed both embarrassed and even a little gratified at that. If they beat Sin, though, how would she react to the fame that followed?

* * *

They were left in a vast audience chamber, which Auron identified as the High Court of Yevon. Thankfully, they weren't in the dock, a fate that they had narrowly avoided. "What did she mean, a lie spread by dissidents?" Rikku asked.

"Mika needs Yuna to be a symbol of hope. Remember how he hinted to Cid that she should continue the Pilgrimage to expurgate her sins?" Auron said.

"Politics," Yunalesca scoffed disdainfully. "I confess myself surprised that they did nothing to blame the Al Bhed."

"Maybe that's because of the information Cid released," Harry said. "Maybe he's covering his arse in case the Al Bhed have more damaging information to expose."

Yuna looked over across the courtroom, almost nervously where the dock was. "Do you think he will listen to us?" she asked.

"He is old and set in his ways," Auron remarked, shooting a meaningful glance at Yunalesca.

"You're only as old as you feel, I believe the standard colloquialism is," Yunalesca remarked.

"Anyway, she agreed to come with us, right?" Tidus asked.

Auron grunted in reluctant assent, but said nothing further as the hunched figure of Mika emerged from the doorway. He opened his mouth to say something, only to do a double take when he saw Yunalesca. He had somehow discerned this was the real thing. Perhaps Unsent could sense other Unsent. "Lady Yunalesca? What are you doing away from Zanarkand?"

"I found myself suffering from a deplorable excess of boredom, and Lady Yuna and her companions had an interesting proposition," Yunalesca said rather blithely.

"Have you given her the Final Aeon?" Mika asked eagerly.

"I can grant it to her at any time. It need not be at Zanarkand. However, they wish to try something first. I thought it might be entertaining to watch."

"And what is that?" Mika asked warily. He could sense something was up. He was, after all, a Maester for decades, and had swum through political waters that made a shark tank look safe by comparison. Thus, his instincts were honed to detect a bullshit job.

"We have reason to believe Sin is attracted to and rendered docile by the Hymn of the Fayth, Grand Maester Mika," Yuna said, her tone suitably deferential, even if her actual respect for Mika was now almost non-existent. "We need the people's assistance in luring Sin, and rendering it docile enough to stop."

Mika's frown was deepening. "What are you planning?"

"The defeat of Sin," Tidus said. "What else?"

And then, Yunalesca dropped the bombshell. "My father's torment, and that of Spira's people and the Fayth, has gone on long enough."

"Summoners and Guardians will be sacrificed to appease Sin no longer," Auron added, glaring at Mika with his one good eye.

"Auron, kindly do not upstage me," Yunalesca said mildly.

Mika was staring at them in shock and horror. "Yunalesca? You too would turn your back on a tradition a thousand years old? A tradition you yourself founded?" he demanded querulously.

"It was not an easy decision to make. Easier than I thought, true…but shaking a millennium of habit is admittedly hard. You and I know that it is my father, Yu Yevon, who controls Sin, that it is not an embodiment of humanity's transgressions and vices."

"Sin is the embodiment of death! Yu Yevon is its helmsman!" Mika snapped back. "Only death truly is supreme here in Spira! You have taken leave of your senses, Yunalesca!"

"Or perhaps I have regained them," Yunalesca retorted dryly. "And I am told that one of your Maesters, by the name of Seymour, has become a renegade Unsent, intending to wrest control of Sin from my father, and turn it into a true juggernaut of death and destruction. At the very least, I intend to stop that."

"Apostate! Heretic! Harlot!" Mika howled, only to get slapped, hard, by Yunalesca.

"I was never a Yevonite in the first place, Mika," Yunalesca said coldly. "I may have gone along with your religion because it gave the people hope, even if it was an illusion, but I certainly did not found Yevon. I cannot speak for my father, though I am sure he would have thought the irony of Bevelle being the centre of a religion worshipping him amusing. And calling me a harlot is just discourteous. I dress this way as a lifestyle choice."

"I cannot bear to listen to this any longer!" Mika wailed, Pyreflies wafting from his body. "You fools are set to bring tradition crashing down around our ears, and with it, the hope of all Spira! I have no desire to watch Spira writhe in its death-throes!"

As Mika faded in a cloud of Pyreflies, Harry scowled. "Wanker," he summed up his feelings succinctly.

Soon afterwards, though, the hooded figure of Bahamut's Fayth appeared. "Tidus…Yuna…could you please come to see me?"

Yuna nodded. "Okay."

Yunalesca blinked. "So, you spoke the truth. The Fayth do ally themselves with you."

"Of course," Tidus said, as he went with Yuna to Bahamut's Chamber of the Fayth.

Yunalesca watched them go, before she walked over to the balustrade nearby, and looked out across the vast courtroom contemplatively. She ran her hand thoughtfully along the top of the balustrade. "…Has anyone ever counted how many people have died from Sin?" she asked quietly.

"No," Auron said. "Records are spotty, even when they're kept."

Another pregnant pause, before Yunalesca said, "I have always thought sorrow utterly unassailable. That is the reason I thought the Final Aeon was the best way to deal with Sin. Better to live in hope for a season, than in utter despair for eternity. Otherwise, the sacrifice of my husband would have been in vain. Perhaps it was despair that drove me to believe that the Final Aeon was the only way. Despair at my own husband killing me, controlled by my father. And to tell the truth…I wanted Dream Zanarkand to live on. And there was a part of me that railed against a world that wanted Zanarkand wiped off the face of Spira, that wanted retribution. It's only now that I truly realise that. A thousand years, interspersed with Calms of various periods. If the world needed to repent for trying to wipe Zanarkand off the map, then it has been done many times over. But now, it seems that, as my father is in no state to repent, I must do so in his stead."

"So, you're gonna help us?" Rikku asked.

Yunalesca chuckled ruefully. "I already made that decision. I'm just…struck with the enormity of it. I do not believe all of Yevon is wrong. Religion is a comfort to those who desire it, a help to those who need it. Perhaps if you defeat Sin, I will help bring Yevon into a new era."

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Some people will want the familiar to fall back on. If Sin is vanquished forever, what then? There will be years of upheaval. Some will thrive in such chaotic times. Others will not. It is the latter I wish to help."

"As long as you don't call it 'New Yevon' or anything like that," Rikku said. "That sounds like an oxymoron."

"And as long as you don't hold back progress," Auron said, glaring at the woman who killed him. "I understand your reasoning, Yunalesca. When Sin is gone, there will be significant change in Spira, and with it, upheaval. But do you think you can really reinvent Yevon to purge it of corruption?"

"It'd be an interesting challenge," Yunalesca said with a smile, a smile that soon became a rather sad look. "Before the war, my father was a great man. I think the war changed him for the worse. I would want to turn this into something the man my father was would be proud of. A summoner, he always taught me, is in the service of the people. The same should be said about a religion like Yevon. You understand this, don't you, Auron? You were a Warrior Monk here, and did your best to serve the people of Spira."

"I still do," Auron said. "But once Sin is gone, my story will end. It is time for the new generation to write their stories."

Harry nodded, as did Rikku. "Funnily enough, Spira's the only place I could actually write my own story. I guess that's what we can do. Instead of being forced into someone else's story, I can choose to be part of it. And that's what I'm doing. I want to stop Sin. Anyway, dealing with an insane, would-be immortal sorcerer who attacks any kind of progress? Yeah, I've been there."

The laughter that echoed around the chamber was, admittedly, somewhat forced. But it was a needed catharsis. Soon, there wouldn't be time for laughter. Instead, there was a time to deal with Sin, for once and for all…

 **CHAPTER 21 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, here you have it. I'm skipping to the battle between Sin and the** ** _Fahrenheit_** **in the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed. This is coming to the end of the story.**

 **Review-answering time! I'm glad you guys enjoyed my giving Yunalesca a heel-face turn in the previous chapter. I was worried that was gonna be a jump-the-shark moment.**

 **Reishin Amara** **: You only have yourself to blame, you know. Remember when you read** ** _Resident Evil: Basilisk_** **, and I wrote that Ricardo Irving looked like the lovechild of Peter Pettigrew and Dolores Umbridge? Yeah, have fun getting the mental image of them breeding out of your mind.** ** _Again_** **. :P**

 **MKTerra** **: I am yet to play any of the** ** _Tales of_** **series. I don't have much of an inclination to either.**

 **Leicontis** **: You have a good point. She's not having a breakdown yet: that'll wait until after she's helped the others kill her father, and once she's actually seen that it was possible to destroy Sin forever. Then she'll lock herself into a cabin on the** ** _Fahrenheit_** **and THEN have a breakdown.**

 **No numbered annotations.**


	23. Chapter 22: The Heights and Depths of

**CHAPTER 22:**

 **THE HEIGHTS AND DEPTHS OF SIN**

They stood on top of the _Fahrenheit_. Yuna and her Guardians, along with Isaaru and Dona and their Guardians. Harry, Rikku, Sirius, Paine, Remus, and Tonks. And Yunalesca. A motley crew.

In the short window before they went to confront Sin (having told Shelinda to have everyone she could tell to sing the Hymn of the Fayth when the _Fahrenheit_ played the same song from its speakers), they found Dona's Guardian, Barthello, wandering the Calm Lands. They only found him because they went to the Travel Agency to stock up on supplies. He soon got on board with the plan, though he seemed overawed of Yunalesca.

But now, there was no turning back. The airship was playing the Hymn of the Fayth, and soon, all of Spira was singing it. And Sin was soon approaching. That vast, eldritch whale-like entity, responsible for Spira's suffering.

"Do you think the energy weapons on the airship will work?" Paine asked as she readied her sword.

"They will, don't worry," Rikku said. "The diagonistic stuff Yunalesca showed us helped. But we'll probably have to weaken it first."

Harry nodded, before he gazed at Sin, floating over the ocean. Suddenly, the _Fahrenheit_ shook, and Wakka, staring, said, "Uh, guys, that's not good, ya?"

Harry gaped as coruscating energy coalesced in front of Sin's snout. Ripples seemed to pass through the sky, drawing clouds closer to Sin, a vast wind whipping up the ocean beneath it. Sin seemed to be creating a hurricane in miniature around it, causing the airship to rock and shake. "What the hell is it doing?"

"Preparing an attack, obviously!" Lulu yelled over the roaring winds.

"My father was known for his mastery over gravity magic," Yunalesca called out over the noise, sounding calm despite the situation, her long hair whipping around her. "His Aeons reflected this: Diablos, Atomos, Zeromus…all Aeons with mastery over gravity."

"But what the hell is he doing? I thought Sin was docile from the Hymn!" Tidus yelled.

"Jecht's demonstrating his power," Auron called out.

For the next minute, Sin gathered power, and the airship couldn't get any closer, for fear of being torn apart by the immense forces involved. Suddenly, the ball of scintillating magenta energy blasted apart, six balls screaming through the air, and carving through cloud and ocean and land alike, leaving gaping voids in all. The blast barely missed the airship.

Rikku stared in awe, as they all did, at the sight in the eerie calm that followed. The water seemed to have a gaping trench in it, as if some religious prophet had deemed it necessary for the ocean to have a half-pipe to match the trench gouged out of the earth.

"Everybody," Yunalesca said quietly. "Get down. There's a delayed reaction to this. The gravity compressed part of the exposed rock, and that is going to have a violent thaumatological-" Her sentence was interrupted when the trench in the water began caving in violently, like a vast narrow tsunami, throwing up a massive column of spray. But as the effect reached the land, explosions began shooting up, and everyone dived to the deck as huge fragments of rock began flying at lethal speeds.

As they got back to their feet, shaking their heads to get rid of the ringing, they realised Sin was approaching. Or rather, they were being pulled closer to it. "Damn you, old man…" Tidus snarled.

Suddenly, Cid called out over the PA. " _Hey, I spotted something shining at the base of Sin's arm. Could be a weak point._ "

"Then let's go for it, ya?" Wakka responed.

* * *

What followed was a harrowing series of battles where Cid brought the airship close to the strange growth on Sin's arm, a growth they attacked until it weakened. The airship then retreated, before extruding a pair of prongs that fired a blast of energy into Sin's arm. It fell off and began dissolving into an absolutely massive cloud of Pyreflies.

They repeated the process with the same arm. Thanks to Yunalesca showing them how to use the diagnostics on the airship properly, the energy blaster of the _Fahrenheit_ , while overheating, was still useable. However, they needed to let it cool down first, and instead, they had to jump down onto Sin itself, where a key core was exposed. Even then, Sin was not going down without a fight, blocking their way to the core with a Sinspawn.

But they prevailed. Using Aeons, magic, physical attacks, and the like to destroy the Sinspawn and the core it protected, they prevailed. Harry had to admit, he was glad Yunalesca was on their side: her power was almost on the level of an Aeon, and he had the feeling that she was holding back.

They barely got back onto the airship, though, as Sin plunged towards the ground. Thankfully, it missed Bevelle, or any people, though the furrow it ploughed in the ground before it hit the ocean with a massive spray was impressive. "Holy shit," Harry breathed softly.

"It's not over yet," Auron said.

Yuna nodded. "I wonder if Sir Jecht is in pain."

"It's possible," Yunalesca said. "I wonder how Zaon felt as part of Sin, whether any part of him was aware of what was being done to him…what he did to me."

"…There's another thing that's bothering me," Yuna admitted. "The Fayth wish to help us…but in the process, they'll be sacrificing themselves completely. Bahamut told us, they need to be defeated as Yu Yevon infests each one, until Yu Yevon has nowhere left to hide…and then…we strike him down. Or what's left of him. I never thought it would come down to this, destroying the Fayth."

"Hey, they're tired, Yuna. They want a rest," Tidus said.

Yuna shot Tidus a look, before she said, "Please…don't leave us."

Tidus nodded. But before he could say anything else, Sin suddenly flew into the sky, strange, almost ethereal glowing wings sprouting from its back. It perched lightly on the spire of the temple, and peered at them balefully. "Cid!" Harry yelled into his radio. "Is the energy blaster ready?"

" _Yeah, but I can only give you one blast! We gotta make it a good one!_ "

Sin itself seemed to have other ideas, drawing the airship closer to it with its gravity abilities. As Cid had the energy blaster warm up, everyone on the deck who was capable of using magic hurled it at Sin. Soon, though, an actinic bolt of light lanced across, smashing into Sin's face. A massive roar erupted from the best, as more Pyreflies wafted from his damaged face, its mouth opening in an imbecilic leer. Now, the beast became inert, even dead, somehow kept floating in the skies over Bevelle, surrounded by a cloud of Pyreflies, and with a vortex of energy appearing in front of its mouth, like a portal.

It was an invitation. Cid drove the airship into the portal, and soon, the airship was flying within Sin. The group looked around in astonishment at the twilight skies within Sin. Sin was massive, true, but inside seemed to be a whole other world, quite literally.

But even as they flew onwards, they heard the familiar lilting chuckle of Seymour, and briefly saw a massive image of his face, smirking malevolently as they flew through it. It seemed that somehow, Seymour had managed to infiltrate Sin…

* * *

After making their way through ankle-deep water and a strange misty landscape where Yevon symbols glowed ominously, they found a set of stairs leading up to a platform. There, standing waiting for them, was Seymour.

"Don't you ever give up?" Tidus scowled in annoyance.

Seymour merely chuckled. "Sin has chosen me. I am one with Sin, part of it forevermore. _Immortal_."

Yunalesca pushed her way to the front of the group. "So, they were right. Your ambitions and madness have climbed to vertiginous heights."

"Lady Yunalesca?" Seymour asked, raising an azure eyebrow in surprise. "It has been a long time," he added in a deceptively mild tone that fooled nobody. You could hear the anger and hatred boiling beneath the surface. And Harry knew why. It was Yunalesca who took Seymour's mother from him, turned her into an Aeon.

"Indeed."

Seymour chuckled, his mirth now having not just a malevolent edge to it, but now an edge of anger and hatred as well. "I have to wonder, Lady Yunalesca, why you ventured forth from Zanarkand? I heard rumours in Bevelle while awaiting my chance, but I never thought they were true, just the usual panicked ramblings of the populace searching for something to believe in, and in vain, too."

"My father's torment has gone on long enough," Yunalesca said.

"On that, we can agree," Seymour said, grinning viciously, his usually serene countenance filled with madness. "Along with that of everyone in Spira! You have stagnated, Yunalesca, content to absorb the few Pyreflies within Zanarkand, whereas I have been absorbing as many as I can to become more powerful. Soon, I will learn to control Sin from within! I have all the time in the world! And you have seen fit to graciously present yourself for your demise, Yunalesca, along with you meddlesome pests. Once you are dead, then the only means of destroying Sin are forever gone!" As he ranted, his body seemed to become transparent, seemingly composed of scintillating dark blue energy. His voice echoed and flanged eerily as he transformed. " _NOW NOTHING CAN STOP US!_ "

"We can," Tidus said.

Harry nodded. "We've beaten you before, we can do so again."

" _BY ALL MEANS, TRY!_ " the now transformed Seymour howled. " _You should thank me, Tidus! Your demise will release your father!_ "

* * *

In a strange arena, not so far away, where the symbol of Zanarkand blazed in burning rocks floating in the sky, a man with tanned skin and a scruffy beard stood, waiting. Although his pose looked casual, albeit somewhat arrogant, with his arms folded, he was actually quite tense. After all, he was the being at the core of Sin, and even now, Yu Yevon was trying to steal away his thoughts, make him an unthinking beast like him.

Jecht would be the first to admit that he wasn't the smartest of men. Shrewd and cunning, but intelligent, well, he was a Blitzball player. He just needed to know how to play well, use the formations well, and create moves that wouldn't be banned. Okay, so it was in a dream reality version of Zanarkand, but it was real, after a fashion.

He knew his crybaby son was coming, along with Auron and little Yuna, and a whole bunch of others. The Fayth had whispered to him, saying that people from another world were here to stop him and Yu Yevon. Hell, even that bikini bitch Yunalesca was helping them, and he didn't know what to make of that.

 _Son_ , he thought to himself, _Tidus…please stop this nightmare I've become stuck in. Bring an end to me, right?_

* * *

It had been another gruelling battle, but they had all prevailed. The final blow, ironically, had come from Anima, who Seymour had spotted, and had snarled about her betraying him. Seymour slumped, but he had nowhere to retreat to. Yunalesca and Auron kept their distances as Yuna approached Seymour, her staff in hand. "It's over, Seymour," Yuna said sadly, as she began to Send him.

He looked up at them, the madness gone from his eyes, only a deep sorrow remaining. As Pyreflies wafted from his body, he said, quietly, "So it would seem. It seems that you have bested me, that you will Send me. But know this: even after I am gone, Spira's sorrow will prevail."

As he disappeared in a flurry of Pyreflies, Tidus retorted quietly, "Sin will be right behind you."

* * *

After another long and arduous journey through Sin, they finally came to journey's end. A massive stone arena, like a stadium without an audience, what seemed like Zanarkand surrounding them, and with the emblem of Zanarkand outlined in the sky in burning stone. Instead of a floor, though, there was a massive platform, suspended above an abyss filled with lava. And there, with their back to them, was Jecht. As Tidus scowled, Jecht said, "You're late, Auron!"

"I know," Auron said.

Jecht turned to face them, and smiled. "Well, ain't this quite the party? Hey, Tidus!"

"…Hi," Tidus said, half-heartedly, conflicting emotions on his face.

"Ha!" Jecht laughed. "Lookit you! You got tall, but yer all bones! You eatin' right, boy?" Then, after a moment, he said, with less bravado, and more sincerity, "You've grown, Tidus."

"But you're still bigger, old man," Tidus retorted with a smile.

"Yeah, can't get much bigger than Sin, you know," Jecht said.

"That's not funny," Tidus said.

Jecht sighed. "Yeah, I know. I guess we'd better get down to business. Oughta be…what's the word, cathartic? Yeah, that's it. Oughta be cathartic to beat the shit outta your old man."

Tidus nodded, before he said, in a tight little voice, "I hate you, Dad. You know that, right?"

Jecht was stunned for a moment, before a sad smile, a mile away from the cocky smirk he usually wore, came across his features, and a rueful chuckle wormed its way from his lips. "Yeah, I know. You know what to do. I can't hear the Hymn so good now. I'm gonna be Sin completely in a moment, and once that happens, I won't be myself anymore. I won't hold back either. Sorry, Tidus."

"Just…get on with it," Tidus said.

Jecht nodded, before he began walking towards the edge of the platform they were standing on…and then, he leapt off, gesturing with his hands in some sort of spell as he did so. At the last moment, even as light poured from Jecht's body, Tidus actually dashed forward, trying to save his father from the plunge. But he was too late.

After a moment, a massive body emerged from below the platform. It was, vaguely, recognisable as Jecht. But it was now bestial and demonic, furred and horned, easily ten metres tall, its eyes glowing blue, its expression blank. Lord Braska's Final Aeon, now the core of Sin.

As everyone readied their weapons and magic, Tidus, drawing his sword, yelled, "I'll make this quick, Dad! I promise! Hit me with everything you've got! Because I won't lose now!"

 **CHAPTER 22 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, just two more chapters to go. The next will be the fight against Yu Yevon and the ending, while the final chapter proper will be an epilogue in the vein of the interquel video** ** _Eternal Calm_** **.**

 **Now, some fair warning. I will be marking the sequel crossover (when I write it) as being with** ** _Final Fantasy X-2_** **rather than with** ** _Final Fantasy X_** **. These games have separate categories for fanfic. Of course, writing that sequel will be some time in the future. I would like to get some more fanfics completed first, or at least have a rest from this saga.**

 **Review-answering time!** **Reishin Amara** **: Yes to Tidus, but as to Yunalesca…well, she, along with the other Unsent, are basically walking corpses, albeit fresh ones. I think that's a question best left unanswered.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	24. Chapter 23: Breaking the Cycle

**CHAPTER 23:**

 **BREAKING THE CYCLE**

After the battle was over, Tidus cradled Jecht in his arms. It had been a tough one, and partway through, Jecht's Aeon form had pulled out a ridiculously massive sword to attack them with. But even so, Jecht had been holding back. That was the impression Harry got. He must've been fighting back as much as he could against Yu Yevon, all to ensure that his son and his comrades survived.

Jecht was even now barely alive, though he had regained himself, with Yu Yevon's essence, a dark orb of energy, flying around the arena like a vulture circling a dying animal. Weakly, as Tidus sobbed openly, Jecht said, albeit with a surprisingly affectionate tone, "You always cry. Lookit you…you're crying even now."

"I hate you, Dad," Tidus wept.

"Save it for later. You've got a job to do, right?"

Tidus nodded, wiping away his tears, his posture becoming set and determined. "Yeah."

"Good. You're my son after all," Jecht said.

Tidus chuckled weakly. "And you know what? For the first time, I'm actually glad that you're my father."

Jecht chuckled at that. Then, the Fayth of Bahamut, along with the Fayth of all the other Aeons, appeared in front of them. " _Call us!_ " they chorused. " _Call we Aeons, and put an end to the Cycle of Sin!_ "

* * *

It was then that things got really weird. The arena seemed to dissolve away, and they were fighting on the massive sword that Jecht had fought with, now grown to even greater size. Yuna, Isaaru, and Dona, once rivals, summoned their Aeons to do battle.

Their strategy was simple: summon three of the same Aeon simultaneously, allow Yu Yevon to possess one, and then have the Aeons fight each other to the death. Once Yu Yevon possessed the last weakened Aeon, they would wipe out the last weakened Aeon themselves. Perhaps a cruel strategy for the Aeons, but they wanted the Cycle of Sin to end.

Valefor was the first to fall. Then Ifrit and Ixion. Then, Shiva, the Magus Sisters, Anima, Yojimbo. The last to fall was Bahamut. Friends and allies, ones they were forced to destroy. Until Yu Yevon had nowhere left to run.

As Bahamut dissolved into a cloud of Pyreflies, the same black mass emerged from him, and then, coalesced into a physical form. Harry stared in disgust. It looked for all the world like a massive, floating tick, its limbs twitching and juddering in a disturbing manner, a massive glowing symbol of Yevon the only decoration on the foul creature.

"Father…" Yunalesca murmured. "You have fallen so far. Do you even recognise me, your own kin?"

If Yu Yevon, or the parasite he had become, recognised her, he showed no such sign. Instead, Tidus looked at Rikku, Harry, and Yuna. "You ready?"

"Yes," Yuna said. "I won't let you disappear, Tidus."

"Wait, what? Whaddya talkin' about, ya?" Wakka yelped.

"Nothing. Just believe in Tidus, believe in his existence with every ounce of your being!" Harry yelled. He then glared at Yu Yevon, and pointed his battle boomerang at the creature. "This ends here!"

* * *

All across Spira, people hoped. Some prayed. Others just watched on with fear, anxiety, anticipation, and hope.

In Besaid, thoughts turned to Lady Yuna, to Lulu and Wakka and Kimahri, and the hope that they would get a High Summoner. Some even dared to hope it would not end with their deaths.

In Kilika, thoughts turned to Dona and Barthello, and hopes for their safety.

In Luca, thoughts turned to Tidus and Wakka, two of the best Blitzball players the people there had ever seen.

At Djose, thoughts of the Summoners who had healed the wounded and Sent the dead after Operation Mi'ihen filled their minds.

At Bevelle, more mixed thoughts, but a hope that Sin would be vanquished all the same, and for those who had known Isaaru and, in her childhood, Yuna, thoughts of hope.

At Guadosalaam, regret and hope were mixed, as Tromell looked at Jyscal in the Farplane, and wondered where he went wrong. He saw Seymour here now, and knew that the boy he had loved as a son was now dead. No thoughts of revenge now crossed his mind, only thoughts that Sin should be stopped.

At Mount Gagazet, the survivors of the Ronso thought of whether the Summoners and their Guardians, including the strong Kimahri, would prevail.

And on the _Fahrenheit_ , and across Spira, the Al Bhed awaited news of their own, having gone in to try and beat Sin. Rikku, along with Harry and Sirius, practically honorary Al Bhed. And Yuna, who was of their blood.

All across Spira, people waited, hoping beyond hope to hear good news.

And soon, they got it.

* * *

Yu Yevon was gone. The parasite that had been at the centre of Sin, and its cycle, was dead. Her father was even now being Sent to the Farplane. Yunalesca had excused herself, and was even now secluding herself in a cabin in the _Fahrenheit_.

 _It is over_ , she thought. _My father's torment, and that of Spira, is over_. The enormity of such a concept almost crushed her.

She hadn't wept for centuries. She had forgotten. True, she knew sorrow, she knew despair…but she had forgotten how to cry. She had forgotten that to weep is a catharsis.

It wasn't her father's death she wept for. She had done so long ago. It wasn't the victory, or the high cost of it. It was the realisation she had been keeping from herself, that she had been complicit in her father's crimes, and that of Yevon. She had sent all those people to their deaths to perpetuate a lie. True, she hadn't thought that there was any other way to beat Sin other than temporarily…but she had never tried to consider another way.

The guilt and sorrow came crashing down on her. Which was why, quietly, she wept in the cabin, tears trickling from her golden eyes.

The door opened, and Auron came through. "I came to say goodbye."

"I'm surprised you did," Yunalesca said, wiping away her tears. "I had the distinct impression you hated me, for what I did to Braska, to Jecht, and to you."

"I did. I still do. But…you showed yourself capable of change. You changed. After I became an Unsent, I changed too…but after that, I stayed the same. I don't belong in this world any longer. This is their story, their world now. I have said my goodbyes. To Tidus, to Yuna, to Paine, to the others. But you intend to remain?"

"As atonement. I cannot do that on the Farplane, as much as I would want to be reunited with Zaon," Yunalesca said quietly. "I remained at Zanarkand to guide others along my own path, only to send them to their deaths needlessly. I will remain, for a time, in Spira to help it through the time to come. Birth is a painful process, and rebirth doubly so. Yuna, Tidus, Harry, Rikku and the others, they don't need me. They are the catalyst for change. But the people of Spira itself? I know I can do some good, to atone."

"Very well. But some advice, Yunalesca. The Unsent do not belong with the living. And the living can look after themselves after a point. Once it is time, do not be afraid to let go. Your husband is waiting for you. He has been for centuries." The last was added with a dry smile on Auron's lips.

"If you do see him when you are Sent, Auron…please tell him to be patient for a few years longer. For me?"

After a moment, Auron nodded, and left the room, and Yunalesca to her own devices, to her grief, her sorrow, her regrets…and her hope for a new future. Something she hadn't had for a very long time…

* * *

It was spectacular. Auron was Sent, smiling, with no regrets, as Yuna, Isaaru and Dona performed the Sending that would Send the Aeons, and Sin, to the Farplane. Even now, the glowing figures of the Aeons floated in the air around them, high in the clouds, Sin's remains with them.

They couldn't see it, but they knew, across Spira, the Fayth, the statues trapping the souls of those people, were fading into dull, lifeless stone. Including the one at Zanarkand. Soon, the Aeons exploded into masses of Pyreflies…with Sin providing the brightest explosion of all. Pyreflies wailed and scintillated across the sky in a spectacular show.

And in each and every one of their hearts, even if they didn't know the truth about Tidus, those gathered here believed in his existence. He was no dream, but a human. More than that, he was a hero who was one of the catalysts to end the Cycle of Sin.

But then, Harry was the first to notice Tidus beginning to fade, become transparent. He looked down at himself when he realised what was happening, given the stares. "Oh no," he muttered.

"No, no, no…" Harry muttered, running a hand through his hair. "We went through so much! He said…"

"He said I _might_ remain," Tidus said, sadly.

"Yeah, but we managed to defeat Sin!" Rikku snapped. "We couldn't have done it without you! If we could believe Sin could be beaten…we could believe in you, remaining here."

"I believe in you, Tidus," Yuna said, moving over to him, trying to grasp his hands, and failing. With an almost desperate look on her face, she said, "I love you. Isn't that enough reason to remain?"

"I wish it were," Tidus said. "But I…" And with that, he faded out of existence, whatever he intended to say to Yuna left half-said.

But as Yuna gasped in horror and grief, and the others looked around in dismay, Harry realised that Sirius was smirking, and had his wand out. And then, suddenly, Tidus yelped, out of thin air, "Hey, what the hell? What gives?"

"Disillusionment Charm," Sirius said, before dispelling it. Tidus remained transparent for a few seconds, before he seemed to solidify. "Sorry, couldn't resist."

Remus cuffed Sirius over the back of his head. "That was unnecessarily cruel, Padfoot."

"Agreed," Paine said.

Tidus looked at himself, poking himself tentatively, as if to reassure himself that he was still in existence. And then, he looked into Yuna's eyes, and they threw their arms around each other.

For a long time, they were inseparable. Then again, who wanted to separate them?

* * *

It was a few days later, at Luca. Yuna had been asked to give a speech. As one of the three High Summoners who had defeated Sin and survived, and being one of the Summoners to bring about an Eternal Calm, she was asked to by the last remaining remnants of Yevon to do so. Well, Isaaru and Dona had been asked, but the latter decided that the limelight wasn't for her, and had gone back to Kilika, while Isaaru had pleaded that he had performance anxiety, leading to some good-natured ribbing from Sirius. Yunalesca could have done so, being already hailed as the new head of Yevon, but she was currently in Bevelle, working to dismantle some of Yevon, while keeping other parts around.

Nervously, she looked at Tidus, squeezing his hand as if to reassure herself that he was still alive, that he was still real, before Lulu directed her to move out to the stage. Her friends and comrades were there to support her.

She walked up to the microphone, and began speaking. " _Everyone…everyone here has lost something precious to them. Homes, dreams, friends and family…but now, the main cause of that anguish is now no longer. Sin is finally vanquished, for good!_ "

Applause erupted, a deafening cacophony of noise like boisterous thunder. After it finally died down, Yuna said, " _Spira is free from the chains of Sin. It is ours once more. Working together, we can make new homes, and new dreams. It will be a long and arduous journey. But we have the time to do it. Together, we can rebuild Spira, and we can begin today._ "

More deafening applause. And when it had died down, Yuna said, " _There is one last thing._ " She gave Tidus a meaningful look, before she said, " _The people or friends that we have lost…the dreams that have faded or been torn asunder…never forget them._ "

As she turned away from the microphone, more applause erupting, she looked at her friends and allies. She couldn't have done it without them. Still, she hoped it hadn't been at such a cost. Even leaving aside the thousand years of Sin, there were the losses of her parents, of those dear to her friends and family, of Seymour, who she felt pity for even now, of Jecht and Auron, who were even now on the Farplane, and the Aeons, without whose sacrifice, it would not have been possible.

But she still had her friends. Wakka and Lulu, her adopted siblings. Kimahri, her protector long before she became a Summoner. Rikku, her cousin. Isaaru and Dona, her fellow Summoners and their Guardians. Her namesake, Yunalesca, who turned away from tradition to save Spira from her own father. Paine, the niece of Auron. Harry, a mage from another world who shook up the status quo, along with his godfather, Sirius. Cid, her uncle, and Brother, her other cousin. Remus and Tonks, Harry and Sirius' comrades who came to help.

And, of course, Tidus. Without him, she wouldn't have truly started questioning. Harry fanned the flames, but it was Tidus who provided the spark. A boy from Zanarkand, a dream made real. Without him, she would have died in futility, and the Cycle of Sin would continue.

But now, they had hope. Real hope. And with it, a future.

This was their story. And it began in earnest here…

 **CHAPTER 23 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, here you have it. The end of** ** _Cycle of Sin_** **proper. Don't worry, you've got an epilogue coming in the next chapter, as a hook for the sequel. Sorry if it feels a little rushed, but I want to get this story done.**

 **No numbered annotations this time…**


	25. Epilogue: A New Adventure Begins

**EPILOGUE:**

 **A NEW ADVENTURE BEGINS**

 _Two years later_ …

If there was one thing Harry had come to appreciate in the past little while, it was waking up in the arms of his newly-wedded wife. Okay, they were somewhat young to be married, being seventeen (Harry nearly eighteen now), but marriages of the young were pretty common in Spira. It came from Sin threatening to kill them before people even had a chance to fall in love.

The ceremony was a quiet one, held at Besaid at their temple. Yevon had transformed, and was no longer as overtly religious as before, becoming more of a spiritual guidance way of life. But ceremonies and rites like marriages and funerals were still held there, and they wanted to make sure Yuna and Tidus, along with Wakka and Lulu could come without trouble. Rikku thought it a delicious irony that an Al Bhed was being married at Besaid in a Yevon temple.

Their honeymoon, oddly enough, was spent on Earth. Rikku had wanted to see the homeworld of her new husband's birth (and the machinery of that world: she took a sphere to record as much as she could), and they had a holiday in Australia for the honeymoon proper, followed up by a reunion with those he knew from Hogwarts later in Britain. However, Harry considered Spira his true home now, and Dumbledore gave him his blessing. In any case, Harry had been declared dead, along with Sirius, after falling through the Veil. Returning to Magical Britain would cause too many questions to be asked.

Some emigrated to Spira. Hermione and her parents did so, joining the Al Bhed. In fact, Hermione had now joined the Machine Faction, a research and development group of the Al Bhed who were looking to create new machina. Gippal had founded it, and was leading it. Hermione was apparently his second in command…and dating him as well. Gippal was only a couple of years her senior.

Hagrid and the Lovegoods, lured by the thought of new creatures to study, had also made the journey. Hagrid now worked at the Monster Arena in the Calm Lands, though he had apparently collaborated with Clasko, a former Chocobo Knight, on Chocobo breeding and training as well. Luna and Xenophilus, meanwhile, had become sphere-hunters, one of many. They had collaborated with the group Harry and Rikku were part of, the Gullwings, on many occasions.

The Weasley twins, along with Ron and Ginny, had also made their way across. The twins had set up shop in Luca, and were doing a roaring trade in both prank supplies and Blitzball memorabilia, while Ron and Ginny joined the Youth League.

Finally, Snape, in an attempt to start afresh, had come to Spira seeking his fortune. He had a roaring trade in Guadosalaam. The Guado had recently fled Guadosalaam for Macalania Woods, as some Ronso and a few other Spirans had been considering taking revenge for Seymour's actions. It had become the new hub of sphere-hunters, and Snape had a knack for both selling potions, as well as selling information to sphere-hunters. While Snape and Harry hadn't completely made up, they were nonetheless on better terms than before.

Harry gently rubbed Rikku's naked back as she stirred, her green eyes with those spiral pupils flickering open, her blonde hair in messy disarray. " _Morning, Harry_ ," she said in Al Bhed with a cheeky grin.

" _Morning, Rikku_ ," Harry replied. " _Do you think we made too much noise last night? I mean, I put up the silencing charms like Padfoot showed me to, but I think Paine has sensitive ears_ …"

" _Hey, it's not your fault that you're good in bed_ ," Rikku said with a smirk.

" _You too, Rikku_ ," Harry said. It wasn't just silencing charms he was grateful to Sirius for either: he had also shown him how to use contraceptive charms. That, plus more mundane protection, helped make sure their active love life wouldn't lead to any surprises. Well, at least not until they were ready for children, anyway.

"D'you think Shinra's decoded that sphere yet?" Rikku asked in English as she clambered out of their bed. They had their own cabin, albeit cramped, on the Gullwings' airship, the _Celsius_.

Harry resisted the urge to stare at the lean and lithe and lovely naked body of his wife and lover as she pulled on her clothes, before saying, "Probably has. Shinra's a whizzkid. I mean, that Dressphere System seems bloody weird, but it's actually a godsend. Once you get used to it." He got out of bed himself, and donned his own clothes.

Not long ago, Brother had come to Harry and Rikku with a proposition: become a sphere-hunting group, the Gullwings. Harry and Rikku accepted. They had other recruits too: two other Al Bhed, and a couple of others. One was a friend of Brother's, Buddy, who was considerably more eloquent than Brother, whose English was still a little stilted and choppy. The other was Shinra, who perpetually wore thick clothing and a mask over his face, a child who was nonetheless a prodigy.

The two others were as different as chalk and cheese. One was a Hypello of Brother's acquaintance. The blue, almost frog-like creature was only known as Barkeep, and acted as both the bartender for the bar of the Celsius (it had a bar! Why would an airship have a bar?!) as well as a quartermaster, obtaining their supplies.

And the other member of the Gullwings?

It was Paine.

After Sin's dissolution, and her uncle's Sending, Paine travelled Spira, working as a mercenary, before she finally plumped for working with the Al Bhed to protect their digging expeditions at Bikanel Island. She now worked as one of the Gullwings on Rikku and Harry's request, having found sphere-hunting interesting enough to join. She still had a somewhat stoic, no-nonsense attitude, but she was on good terms with Harry and Rikku at least. Being involved in stopping Sin and being able to say goodbye to her uncle helped give her, if not closure, then something that helped take some weight off her shoulders. She was still trying to find out exactly what happened in the Den of Woe, though the only member of the Crimson Squad she still communicated with on a regular basis was Gippal.

However, recently, Kimahri, who had become the leader for the surviving Ronso, had sent them a sphere he found on Mount Gagazet. And it was this sphere that Shinra was decoding, cleaning up and salvaging the data that remained. It was ancient, possibly even a thousand years old.

They didn't know it, but this sphere was going to send them on a whole new adventure…

* * *

Paine turned to look at them when Harry and Rikku entered the bridge of the _Celsius_ , dressed and fed. The bridge was not unlike that of the _Fahrenheit_ , albeit with its own differences. "Good night last night?" Paine asked sardonically.

"You could say that," Harry said.

"Well, you're not going to get much rest from now on," Paine said, indicating Shinra's station. "Shinra's got the sphere cleaned up, and it's pretty interesting."

"Yes," Shinra said, his voice rasping through his mask that concealed his head and face. "It can play back properly now, but the content…well, see for yourself."

Harry and Rikku walked over, and had a look. They watched as the sphere's video played back on the screen. It was crappy video, but enough could be seen to give them a shock. Once the video had ended, they stared at each other. "Was that…him?" Rikku asked.

"Not the one we know and love," Harry mused. "I know who has to see this, though."

"Took the words out of my mouth," Buddy said from his seat. "We're already on our way to Besaid. We'll be there in a few minutes."

* * *

Some things changed. Others remained the same. Yuna, Wakka, and Lulu remained on Besaid Island, albeit with Tidus added to their little circle. Surprisingly, Wakka and Lulu were married themselves, and Lulu was pregnant, and indeed was soon due. Wakka, having retired from Blitzball, had gone a little soggy around the edges. Not much, not enough to be noticeable unless you looked for less muscle and more flab, but it was enough for Rikku to tease him on occasion.

Tidus and Yuna, however, were taking their relationship somewhat more slowly. Tidus was probably afraid of ending up like his father, possessive of his wife if he had a child. And for the time being, they were both content with that. Tidus did play with the Besaid Aurochs, though, helping them win more games than they ever had before.

One thing they weren't content with, though, were the continuous offers from the Youth League and Aegis (the latter, sadly, acquiring the nickname of New Yevon from followers and detractors alike, despite Yunalesca's efforts), along with pestering for advice. Being the messiah of a world had its drawbacks.

Harry and Rikku found Yuna, Tidus and Wakka on a path leading away from the village. Harry was struck by how idyllic and peaceful the island was, Fiends notwithstanding. It was no wonder Braska wanted Yuna raised here.

As they walked down the path from the village, Rikku teasing Wakka by elbowing him in the gut gently, Harry looked at Tidus and Yuna. "How's things?" he asked.

"Could be better, what with the Youth League and Aegis pestering us, but I can't complain about the company," Tidus said with a smile.

Yuna nodded. "I am glad that I have Tidus here, that he did not disappear with Sin and the Fayth. It would be…troublesome, otherwise. At least with him by my side, I don't get as many marriage proposals as I have feared. But…people expect me to solve their problems. I wouldn't mind if it were something…interesting, or I could save a life. But…never mind. You didn't come here to listen to my problems. I have Tidus, Wakka, and Lulu for that."

"Yeah. Well, we got something interesting from Kimahri at Mount Gagazet," Rikku said, with Harry handing the sphere over to Yuna. Now that it was decoded, it could be used at will. "He sent it over to us. And, well, we found this on it. Play it back."

"Okay," Yuna said, before playing it back. An image formed within the sphere, a dark, static-ridden image that resolved into the image of a teenaged boy in a cage. Yuna, Tidus, and Wakka gaped. The boy strongly resembled Tidus. The clothing was somewhat different: where Tidus had yellow, he had blue, and it had a slightly more different design, but it was a Zanarkand Blitzball outfit.

Then, his voice emerged from the sphere. Tinny and a bit hard to make out, but clearly Tidus' voice, but angry. "… _not sorry! I haven't done a damned thing wrong!_ " the doppelganger was yelling at the recorder, glaring balefully at the sphere. " _I know you're listening, even if you aren't talking. If she was your girl, what the hell would you do?! Huh?! How can you blame me for trying to use your weapon? It was the only way I could save the Summoner! What would you do if you were in my shoes?_ " The recorder took the sphere away from the cage, and the doppelganger wailed, shaking at the bars of the cage, " ** _LET ME OUT, YOU BASTARDS!_** " Then, he broke down into sobs. " _Please…I want to see her…one last time…please…_ "

As the recording ended, Tidus and Yuna looked at each other. "That's not really Tidus, is it, ya?" Wakka asked, frowning.

"No," Rikku said, shaking her head. "Yunalesca said that Tidus resembled a Blitzball player called Shuyin. Remember what Belgemine said, Wakka? Well, Yunalesca told us more. Apparently Shuyin broke into Bevelle during the war against Zanarkand, intending to take control of a massive machina weapon to save his lover, a Summoner called Lenne. Actually, we're using an old sphere of one of her performances, albeit one that's a bit too corrupted to do more than salvage a few seconds of video and audio, as part of our Dressphere System."

"And remember what Paine said, two years ago? The presence that possessed the Crimson Squad felt like you, Tidus. It may have been Shuyin," Harry pointed out.

"Yeah, but…Shuyin ain't Tidus, ya?" Wakka said. "Anyway, what's it to us?"

"Aren't you curious about what's going on?" Rikku asked. "There's more to this story, I'm sure!"

"Yeah, but Yuna has responsibilities! Okay, it's the off-season for Tidus, but Yuna, she's booked solid for three months! She can't just drop everything and go off, ya?"

"For what? Being pestered by the Youth League and Aegis to be their new mouthpiece?" Harry asked sardonically. "Being asked to be a sponsor for this potion line or that staff maker? Seriously, how did Yuna manage to be booked solid for three months? I'm glad I didn't stay on Earth, it would have been worse for me."

Rikku then gave Wakka a look. "Wakka, everyone's expecting so much of Yuna. But when was the last time she got to do something because she wanted to? I mean, it's not like I expect her to come, but I thought…it'd be an interesting diversion for her, and Tidus too. When was the last time either you or Yuna left Besaid?"

"Two months ago, to watch Tidus play in Yunalesca's United Spira tournament," Wakka said.

Which had been one of Yunalesca's best ideas. Yunalesca and Baralai, the former Crimson Squad member, were the driving forces behind Aegis, the organisation that had once been known as Yevon, and was known by many as New Yevon, despite their best efforts. Indeed, Aegis and the Youth League (the latter growing mainly out of the remains of the Crusaders) were the two main driving forces in Spira nowadays. That, and the Machine Faction and the sphere-hunters.

After a moment, Yuna said, "We'll go. I…want to do this."

Tidus rubbed the back of his head. "…And so do I. I guess you got me hooked, you two."

* * *

They were soon onboard the _Celsius_ , slipping away when Wakka ran back to Besaid to try and find Lulu to talk reason into them. They just went to the docks, boarded the airship, and left. Yuna and Tidus had felt exhilarated at slipping away, almost like eloping lovers. In truth, they missed a bit of adventure, and wanted to do it again. Plus, maybe they could find out if there really was a link between Shuyin, and what happened to the Crimson Squad.

The truth was, they didn't realise it, but they had just embarked on yet another adventure that would shake Spira to its foundations, so soon, relatively speaking, after the end of the Cycle of Sin…

 **EPILOGUE ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Well, here we are at last. I started** ** _Cycle of Sin_** **in December 2015. Now, at last, it's finished. There will be a sequel, but I want to finish other works first, or at least take a break from the story. As mentioned in a previous chapter, the sequel will be posted as a crossover with** ** _Final Fantasy X-2_** **, so keep an eye out there.**

 **For those wondering, Sirius is with Cid and Isaaru at Zanarkand. Remus and Tonks live at Kilika.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the story. See you later.**

 **No numbered annotations for this chapter…**


	26. SEQUEL NOTICE!

**SEQUEL NOTICE!**

The first chapters of the sequel, _Revenge of Shuyin_ , has been published. Look for it on my profile, or in the Harry Potter/ _Final Fantasy X-2_ crossovers.


End file.
